Star Fox: Padawan
by XxSanitariumxX
Summary: Fox is just an average ten year old boy until he receives an invitation to be trained as a Jedi Knight. But with the teachings of Sith and his hateful spite towards the rest of the Jedi will he be able to follow the path of Light or fall to the Dark Side
1. The Jedi Vixen

"_I Don't know why we met but I knew I loved her the second I laid eyes on her... at least I wanted to. Even at the young age of ten I knew I loved her... at least it felt like i did. Everything about her compelled me towards her, her face, her clothes, her voice, her fur, her eyes, everything. If she were to leave just a signature I would have treasured it as much as the actual person. I wish she left a signature because even today I still don't know her name. Call me fickle, call me idiotic, call me some love struck kit all you want, I loved the blue Jedi vixen more than I love my own life... at least I thought I did."_

The young Fox McCloud put the audio journal down still in shock of what happened a few minutes ago. What was even more surprising was that he admitted to himself that he once loved a Jedi. Jedi were the most hated, adored and disputed things in the whole Lylat. Almost half of them converted to the dark side after being seduced to it by the Dark Lord Andross. The Dark Lord Andross constructed an empire that took up footholds on Venom, Area Six which is a massive array of satellites, Sector Z, an artificial moon sized satellite called Bolse, a planet named Macbeth and dozens lesser colonized planets outside the Lylat all of which are still cloaked in mystery.

Since Andross came to power he has soiled the once good name of the Jedi, trying to get soldiers to defect, people to join the cult known as the Sith and wrecking havoc wherever a "Dark Jedi" as they called themselves were found.

Needless to say Fox really didn't care, the blue vixen that came into his uncles store every once in a while to buy parts and equipment for Jedi purposes was nothing but a shining ray of purity, at least until today. She was often calm and patient and didn't think Fox was an absolute klutz when he ran back carrying every part she needed in his hands and tripped. Naturally he became submerged in parts.

"I admire your enthusiasm but perhaps you could get me my supplies without breaking yourself on them?" she would say when she helped him up. As soon as her paw touched his, his whole body became engulfed in metaphorical flames. His face goes red, his body becomes as hot as fire and he can't breathe until she lets go. Not knowing very much about Jedi he was relieved out of ignorance thinking that that she didn't know what he was thinking. It would be embarrassing for someone to know what he thought about her.

'Oh my God she's touching me, her fur is so soft, her eyes so blue, her face so mystique, her smell is so….' Typically he'd drone on even hours after she left still finding unique and beautiful things about her.

Of course that was how he felt yesterday. After today however he no longer loved her, after today he hated her, after today he wished she was dead, after today he wouldn't mind if he was the one that killed her…

The day began when Fox asked his uncle what he should do but when Charlie asked him who the lucky lady was Fox couldn't tell him.

"She's just a girl at school you wouldn't know her-"

"My nephew is smitten with the local tail already huh?" Charlie cackled. "That's the Papetoon in you my boy. Now you say you become completely flustered and can't do anything in her presence?"

"Exactly." Fox said nodding like a fiend, his uncle would know what to do, how he could keep his cool and perhaps get to know the vixen a little better.

His uncle Charlie ran it in his mind for a while. "Well for one it's all in your head and you need to overcome that one yourself. When you do man up all you got to do is ask her to an activity like a movie, walk, day at the beach, I don't know just ash her to do something! But when you get around to it make sure you bring her home one day so Lucy and I can meet the young lady."

Fox bit his lips, his uncle Charlie despised Jedi but as long as they were paying customers he didn't mind them too much. If he brought the vixen home she'd more than certainly not be welcome. "Uh sure Charlie no problem. Thanks for the advice I'm going to go take stock of the blaster batteries now."

"Alright but make sure you get every single one of them accounted for."

Fox smiled as he ran off to the front desk, he loved that old hare as much as a real father whom he never met. His mother always told him that he was a good, handsome strong man like he was but Fox never believed her. If he really was a good man he would have at least shown the courtesy to at least say hi. Fox shook off the feelings that were brewing about his father and began taking stock.

'Ninety nine… one hundred… one hundred and one… one hundred and, and… son of a rancor!' Fox thought angrily in his head after forgetting where he was at because his father kept showing up in his mind despite his efforts to banish the thoughts.

"I think you were on one hundred and two." Said the sweet heavenly voice but at the time was like a fog horn to Fox. He yelped and jumped practically out of his fur right onto the large shelf of batteries causing them all to fall over right on him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Fox laid there assessing the damage to his pride, it was absolutely destroyed with that last move but it wasn't like he had much to begin with after all the screw ups around the vixen anyways. "Yeah I'm fine." Fox growled with pain as he got out of the mountain of batteries. Once he was out he refused to look at the vixen and just started to pick up the batteries.

The vixen stood there motionless and only watched him causing Fox's heartbeat to rise, palms to sweat which made his job harder and worst of all he began to glow with the blood rushing to his face creating blush. As his hands reached for the levitating battery he stopped and yelped again. Batteries don't levitate unless.

"Let me help." The vixen said and as batteries began to float to their designated areas. Fox watched the vixen as she concentrated, he was purely amazed by her half the time but now he could have believed she was God himself or should he say herself? In no time at all the batteries were all put back.

"T-t-t-thank y-you." Fox stuttered, unable to move his transfixed green eyes away from her beautiful white face which was the only thing about her that wasn't blue.

"It was no problem in fact I should thank you, I don't get too many instances to train with the force of late."

"That's right y-you're a J-Jedi." Fox said.

"Isn't it obvious?" the vixen scoffed playfully. From the way she was dressed and the little braid on the back of her head it was obvious. But what would tip anyone off was the rather large Lightsaber on her left hip.

"Y-yeah it kinda is." Fox said scratching the back of his head.

"Listen I need a new lens for my Lightsaber, I seemed to have cracked it when I was training. It works fine but I still want to make sure." Krystal said handing the lens to Fox.

Fox mulled the lens over. "Hmm, it seems you got the crap one. I wouldn't feed this to a Mynock." Fox growled then threw it away. Here let me get you something good." Fox said, he lost all his nervousness now that he had something to keep his mind on. He wasn't the biggest mechanical mind like his friend but when it came to Lightsabers it was all the rage to him.

"But I… can't afford it." the vixen said but he was already gone. Fox ran to his bedroom and looked through his own personal supply crate and he pulled out his very own Lightsaber. After seeing the vixen's so many times he managed to make one with ease but could never get it to work because he knew deep down he was missing something. The rest came naturally however.

"Maybe I can ask her about it?" Fox wondered to himself.

"Ask who about what?" Charlie asked from Fox's door.

Fox resisted the urge to yelp and instead threw the Lightsaber back into his crate and locked the door. "Nothing!" he said than sat on the crate.

His uncle stared at him suspiciously, Fox was like an open book on tape, he couldn't hide _anything. _Even his audio journal was lying out in the open for all to get to. "Something the matter Fox?"

"Nothing! I mean nothing is wrong!" Fox said than cracked a wide smile that spelt guilty.

"Okay I'll believe you but uh I need to go deliver that new motor to Beltino do you think you can handle things while I'm gone?"

"Yeah totally!" Fox nearly shouted, now he could be alone with the vixen without fear his uncle would show up and ruin everything. Now all he had to fear was himself ruining everything.

"Okay be back at four." Charlie said and left.

The second he was gone Fox had the crate open, the high quality lens plus a back up just in case and took his home made Lightsaber with him as well. When he got back he saw the gorgeous vixen staring off into space while sitting on the counter of the front desk. He stood there watching her for a moment before the vixen said without seeing him.

"You're back now?"

"What? Yeah!" Fox said and ran behind the counter. The blue fox jumped off and Fox put the lenses on the counter while leaving his Lightsaber in his pocket. "Okay you see with these lenses they're better made on my home planet Papetoon, your lenses that you bought came from Katina of all places. These ones are nigh indestructible, you can bash em against a wall as long as you want and it won't break guaranteed!"

The vixen looked them over but put them down. "I'm sorry sir but I can't-"

"Call me Fox!" Fox said beaming with joy and excitement, he never thought he could be this close to her and actually talk to her normally for so long.

"Fox." she said and smiled sweetly nearly throwing Fox off his unusual normal streak. "I'm sorry but I can't afford-"

"On the house!"

"What?" the vixen gapped.

"Don't worry about it, these are on me, you are such a loyal customer and everything… not to mention one of the better looking ones." He mumbled to himself so quietly he almost didn't hear himself.

"Thank you." She said still speechless about getting something so valuable for free. As she turned to leave Fox summoned the courage to call after her.

"Uh wait!" he said then ran out from behind the counter.

The vixen stopped and turned around, her Jedi robes twirled with her tail which had strange metal clasps on them. "Yes?" she asked.

"Listen I like you…'re Lightsaber." Fox said when he chickened out; he wasn't able to say he liked her just yet.

"Why thank you I made it myself with help from my master-"

"You're a slave?" Fox nearly shouted.

"No when I say master I mean teacher or sensei." the vixen giggled.

"Oh well that makes sense." Fox said than thought 'No it doesn't!'

They stood there for a while, Fox looking for more strength and the vixen looking for a reason why he was keeping her there. "Is, is that all?" she asked.

"Err no you see I like your Lightsaber." Fox said nervously.

"Yes you said that." the vixen pointed out.

"Well I like it so much that I kind of… well." Fox said and pulled out his Lightsaber. The vixen's eyes snapped wide open and she swiped it out of his hands.

"Where did you get this?" she growled.

"I-I made it-"

"Lair! You stole it didn't you?" she shouted creating a level of terror in Fox. He didn't know it before but she was horrifying when mad.

"No honest I made it myself and-" Fox said but stopped when he felt pressure on his throat. It felt like someone was choking him, he could actually feel the hands on his throat squeeze tighter and tighter.

"Where did you get this from?" She growled.

"Please stop!" Fox gasped when the pressure lightened but came back immediately after he spoke this time with more force.

"Did you kill a Jedi? Did you steal it? Did you find it? TELL ME!" she yelled.

Fox throat was reaching its limit, if the pressure continued his neck would surely break. A tear rolled down his cheek and he fell to his knees clutching the invisible, unyielding hands around his neck. His vision became shadowed with red but the vixen still shinned blue unlike everything else which had become a deep blood red. Finally the vixen released him.

"Wretched thief." She growled "You're lucky I'm not a Sith."

Fox watched her go still in shock about what happened. Hot, wet tears ran down his face but not because of physical pain, she hurt him more than she knew. His idol, his secret beloved, his wonder of the world was stripped from him that day because of her. She no longer was that beautiful shining ray of light anymore; she was the ugly dark miasma of evil now. Fox put the closed sign on the door up since he was in no condition to manage the store in his uncle's absence.

Several hours later his uncle returned surprised to see the closed sign up. He walked in and corrected the problem before calling out for Fox. "Fox… Fox where are you?" No answer.

Charlie searched the entire store but couldn't find a single trace of the young vulpine. Finally he got an epiphany to check the roof. Fox usually hid out there when he wanted to be alone or something was wrong. Sure enough he found the orange red fox hugging his legs, staring at the fall sunset.

"There you are Fox what happened? Why did you close down the store? You know we don't close until six." Charlie said to a deafened child. Fox couldn't hear him right now; he was too deep in self thought and despair. Everything he thought he knew shattered and from the fragments a new world was spawned, that world was hollow, dark and miserable, just like him.

"Fox? Is something wrong?" Charlie asked.

Fox still didn't hear him and wiped away one of the last tears he'd ever cry for the blue vixen. That witch would get hers one day; he'd make sure of it. She would regret hurting him like that and he would stop at nothing to make her life Hell like his had just been plunged into.

"Fox?" Charlie said climbing up the ladder from the attic. When he reached the top Fox still hadn't realized he had company until Charlie's words finally got through. "Fox did someone hurt you?"

Fox's head turned slowly, his eyes were solid red apart from his pupils and irises, tear troughs that were beginning to dry still left their marks on his face running from his eyes to the bottom of his cheek and his voice cracked and broke as he spoke.

"You… you could say that." Fox said feeling the hands on his throat again. He reached to pull them away but they disappeared as his own hands touched his neck.

"Was it that girl? Did she break your heart?" Charlie asked taking a spot next to his nephew.

"Maybe." Fox said not sure if she did break it or just showed it the sad truth about life.

"That's too bad Fox I can tell you must have cared for her a great deal." Fox nodded not looking at Charlie but the sunset again. Charlie went on. "But you know what? Fuck her. That's what I say, fuck her! She's not good enough for you anyway! I've seen what you can do Fox, you're one hell of a marksman with a blaster, you can take on the three toughest kids in your class and come out on top and to top all that you have a gift."

Fox blinked. "A gift?"

"That you do my boy, you know the difference between right and wrong. Like the time you defended that little vixen Fara from those bullies. Beat the snot out of them when they wouldn't stop teasing you. I never told you but I was proud of you that day even if I did ground you and have you noticed how Fara treats you now?"

Fox thought about it for a moment. "Kind of, she helps me anytime I need it when before we hardly ever spoke to each other and she's always warm and kind to me."

"That's because that is how a hero is treated. Your gift is that you are a hero Fox. A true blue hero and don't forget it."

"Me a hero?" Fox scoffed. "I'm just a ten year old, average fourth grader! I'm not a Jedi or-"

"Fox you are worth ten times more than any Jedi and I guarantee that."

Fox smiled lovingly at his uncle and embraced him firmly. "Thanks Charlie."

"Any time Fox, now go get ready for supper, Lucy should be starting it anytime now."

Later that night after lots of spaghetti Fox sat alone in his room in his uncle's house just behind his uncle's store. He was deep in thought about what to do. The Lightsaber he worked so hard on was gone and he wanted to make another one that worked but he wondered if he really should. If he were to use a Lightsaber he'd more than likely hurt himself or someone else if he got it working and if a Jedi saw it they might take it from him like the vixen did. Maybe if he could get it to work he could defend his right to have one but he doubted it. The Jedi were experts duelists and they'd mop the floor with his legs and arms for mops and his blood for cleaner.

Fox looked at his workbench. He had all the supplies he needed and that strange feeling he had when he made his first mock Lightsaber came back but this time with double the intensity now that he had the experience and refined will to do it just to spite the Jedi.

"Screw it." Fox growled. He picked up his fusion cutter on the side of his bed and went with it. For three long hours he toiled on the saber hilt's construction only making a few minor mistakes that he quickly fixed. Finally he leaned back to inspect his work, it looked exactly like the first one except this one had his name etched in it.

"I wish I knew my surname." Fox mumbled to himself while staring at the lonely three letters. His uncle said he could use his surname and Fox did in school but Fox wanted his true name on his Lightsaber even if it belonged to a man Fox wouldn't mind watching walk into speeding traffic.

Fox pressed the power switch but once again nothing happened. Fox groaned. "There's something I'm missing isn't there? But wha-"

Something shined in his eyes that caused him to stop. His heart froze over and that feeling that guided his hands through the whole process screamed at him to take what he was looking at in his hands. Fox got up and walked almost like a zombie to his most prized possession. Fox took the red crystal in his hands and felt a surge of heat swallow him like he was the small one of the two.

"My father's crystal?" Fox said to himself. Suddenly Fox became energized, adrenaline coursed through his body and he quickly ran back to his workbench. He took the Lightsaber apart and put it back together again but this time he put the crystal in a cavity in the Lightsaber that Fox didn't know what went in there.

His heart pounded in his ears as his hands glided up the supportive grip of the Lightsaber. He put his hands in position like he would hold a bat. His fingers pressed the power switch. A blood red beam of light no bigger than a grown man's thumb extended out of the hilt and began to hum.

"Oh my God!" Fox laughed and began to swing it around. The Lightsaber was so light, only the hilt gave it any weight but it was still so light Fox marveled at it for ages. Fox kept swinging it until he accidently sliced through his lamp cutting off all light in the room besides his own deep blood red saber's light.

"This is so cool!" Fox shouted and turned the blade off.

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~ Hey guys it's me XxSanitariumxX and yes I went there, I made a Star Fox/Star wars fic. Before you ask questions let me answer some first before your anoying voices clogs my ears (jk lol). Okay first there are no Star Wars charecters, planets, aliens, timelines or technology (aside from the lightsaber). There are Star Wars animals like the Rancor and Mynock but only because there aren't any Star Fox animals now is there? The first paragraph was Fox's audio recording log which took place just a few minutes after the vixen took his lightsaber and choked him. I feel like I'm missing something but if I am just drop me a comment. More to come soon but maybe not that soon since I'm still working on Male Stripper and Frozen Hell. Hope you enjoyed!_**


	2. After School Fight

"_Things are improving… I think. Charlie and Lucy don't know I made an actual Lightsaber and I think that is how it should be… still I feel bad for not telling them. That vixen still hasn't shown up yet and it's been two days. Usually she's in every other day but hopefully she broke that trend and found another shop. If I see her again I might try to kill her and as much as I don't want to now I might want to the next time I see her face… I think for safety reasons I should carry my Lightsaber with me under my jacket but is it safe for other people? I guess it is as long as they don't mess with me. If they do they'll regret it."_

Fox put the audio recorder down and hid his Lightsaber on the left side of his grey flight jacket hoping it wouldn't show too much. To his relief not even the smallest bulge was visible. Fox sighed and his tail began to flick around with excitement. He felt powerful with the Lightsaber at his side close to his heart. He wanted to test it out but his uncle would definitely notice burned random items Fox would have used as a really temporary test dummy.

Some things Fox did learn about the Lightsaber were that he couldn't just glide it through thick things like a wall like he thought he could. It seemed that if he wanted to cut thicker things he'd have to add physical force into it and the more force he added the quicker it cut. Another thing he learned was if he dropped it the Lightsaber would turn off instantly. One last thing he learned was that his Lightsaber blade was exactly three and a half feet tall while the hilt was six inches. Fox himself was just four feet and felt a little awkward with the blade at first but slowly began to gain a sense of comfort with it.

As fox walked out the door to go to school Charlie watched him go, deeply concerned about him. "Lucy do you think there is something wrong with the boy?"

Lucy walked in from the kitchen carrying a plate for herself and Charlie. She was a robust woman, easy on the eyes, fur as white as virgin snow, eyes that could pierce the best constructed lie and a will that burned in as fiercely as her spirit. She may at times seem a little strict but anyone who was around for more than five minutes could not deny she was a good and nice woman, however strong at times.

"Like what? What's wrong with Fox?" She asked setting the plate down next to Charlie.

"Well he shuts himself in his room the second he gets home, his teachers said he hardly does any work any more and that he is out the door the second the bell rings, his friends come over to play or to get him to play but he declines them all every time, even Fara!"

"Well maybe he's reached that age where he just wants to be alone? I was the same way."

Charlie shook his head and forked his meal. "No that's not like Fox at all. I've only seen him like this once and that was when his mother died."

"He rebounded afterwards, he'll rebound now." Lucy said quickly and firmly to end the topic of Fox's mother.

"You can't deny that he's different can you? I don't even feel like my nephew is all there anymore, almost like he's a new person. An evil person."

"Our Fox? No." Lucy chuckled.

Fox tapped his pencil on his desk every time his leg jumped up and bumped his arm. He had a tendency to make his leg jump up and down rapidly when he was bored and school no longer interested him. He only wanted to go home, finish his shift and practice with the Lightsaber hiding next to his heart. His teacher droned on and on like he usually did but this time Fox wasn't jotting down notes, only tapping his pencil, bobbing his leg up and down and staring at the clock that would not move any faster no matter how much he willed it.

His concentration on bending space and time so he could move the time forward was interrupted when something flew from the hand of the dog next to him to his own desk. The note had three little letters on them which meant that it was meant for him. Fox opened the note and read it as secretly as possible under his desk.

_Dear Fox_

_I was wondering if you'd want to walk home together today? You seem kind of distant lately and I thought maybe you'd want to talk or play after school? Of course you don't have to if you don't want to I was just curious and I kind of like you. ~Love Fara_

That little love Fara with a little pink heart next to it made Fox blush. It was so unexpected of Fara of all people to write something like that and only confused the already muddled mind of a ten year old boy. His first initial reaction after blushing was to decline so he could get home as fast as possible so he could help Charlie and then practice with his Lightsaber but when he looked over at Fara their eyes met.

From three desks away Fox felt like she was holding his hand and he went beat red. She smiled at him and he returned it with a nervous one. He looked away quickly and down at his desk when she blew a kiss at him. His pulse quickened and his mind raced.

'Oh man what do I do? What do I do? Fara is a nice girl and all but what about the blue vixen?' Fox thought to himself but came to a realization. 'What about her? She tried to kill me and am I not bent on making her pay if not killing her? Besides Fara has always been nice to me and I guess you could say I'm her hero… all right then.'

Fox quickly scrawled his answer on the note and wrapped it back up. As he went to hand it to the dog next to him with the address the teacher noticed him.

"Mr. Sabbath what is that?" the old goat asked.

Fox's world froze in fear, Mr. Colerain would never let this off the hook, he absolutely despised notes in class. Fox's only options were to A, eat the note or B, go with the punishment.

"Nothing sir." Fox said darting his hand back under his desk so he could crumple it up.

"Don't you think about eating that note!"

'Damn!' Fox swore in his head.

"Bring it up here."

'DAMN!' Fox thought as he got up with the whole class watching him to hand the note over. Fox dropped it in the old goat's hands who read it to himself. Fox's hopes rose a little when the old goat didn't read it out loud but to his dismay he handed it back.

"Why don't you read it? My voice is a little tired. There was a chorus of giggling and laughing from the crowd as Fox turned around, face burning red. He opened the note up and his mouth went dry, he didn't mind reading Fara's part because that wasn't as personal compared to what he wrote. He stopped when he reached Dear Fara.

"Go on Mr. Sabbath." Mr. Colerain said motioning the agonizing public humiliation to continue.

Fox licked his lips with a dry tongue. This was far worse than coming into class with only underwear like in his nightmares but as he recalled not as bad as what that vixen did to him. Fox cleared his throat and began with a weak and shaky voice.

"D-Dear Fara." He began but hesitated. "I-I was hoping you'd ask because I always thought you were, you were… cute." An explosion of chaos erupted amongst the already frenzied swarm of adolescent, immature ten year olds. Hoots, hollers, childish love songs, and laughter broke out from every corner of the room except that tiny pocket in Fara's desk.

Fox looked back at Mr. Colerain but he didn't motion for anything to stop. As Fox began to speak again the anarchy died with the sound of his voice in an eerie way. Fox continued the reading of his social death sentence.

"I'd love to walk you home and if you want to… please sir don't make me do it!" Fox begged but Mr. Colerain wouldn't listen to anything other than Fox's suffering. Fox continued. "If you want to… if you want to" Fox cleared his throat, his hands were shaking and a bead of sweat ran down his brow "IF you want to we could hold hands."

Compared to before the riot now was a mountain in comparison. People three classes down heard the ruckus yet Mr. Colerain did nothing to stop it. Fox wanted nothing more than to launch a bazooka at his face right now but he didn't have any rockets.

"If not I understand I'll still walk you home love Fox!" Fox finished quickly before the mob could calm down. only Fara who was listening so intently with her larger than normal ears heard Fox and was completely stricken with his answer. She never thought that that note would work but apparently it did. She was actually going to walk home with her hero Fox Sabbath.

"You may return to your seat Mr. Sabbath." The old goat said. Fox stared at the floor on his way back and refused to look up from his desk When the day ended he was the last one out. As he past by Mr. Colerain something dark welled up within him, he wanted to cut him down with the Lightsaber at his side but that would be murder and Fox wasn't about to throw his life away for him.

As Fox walked through the hallways the story had already spread school wide. As he walked by people pointed, laughed, whooped, sang love songs and offered high fives which Fox declined. His face burned with embarrassment and he wanted to beat the Hell out everyone but he digressed and headed home in silent shame.

"Fox! Fox!" Fox heard someone call behind him. he turned around and saw that it was Fara.

"Oh hey Fara." Fox said ignoring the baby carriage song. "You still up for that walk home?" he asked surprising everyone even himself.

"I-I would love to!" Fara said smiling ecstatically.

The two foxes walked out of school together hand in hand ignoring the fact everyone could see them and that by this time tomorrow there would be a hailstorm of teasing. Fox didn't mind really, Fara's hands were so soft and warm he couldn't even think of why he once liked that blue vixen when he had a perfectly good brown one all this time.

They walked to Fara's house without having to say a thing but as the walk continued Fara wanted to talk anyways.

"Um Fox why did you beat up those bullies when they were teasing me?" Fara asked hoping to start a conversation.

Fox blinked. "You know I never thought about it. I guess it's because I saw you needed help and there was no way I'd let someone go through that for the rest of the school year. They weren't all that tough anyway." Fox said and smiled as he remembered the biggest one of the lot went down with one punch.

"I never did thank you did I?" Fara said getting a little shy. She wanted to do something but she was wondering how she should approach it.

"You don't have to-"

"But I do! I mean if it weren't for you they would have teased me all year and maybe even after that! So… thank you." She said and kissed his cheek. Fox became the very definition of red. His whole face brimmed with it like his Lightsaber. "Listen if you want to come in I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind, in fact they said they'd really like to meet you."

"Thanks Fara but Charlie needs me at the store." Fox said trying not to freak out. What Fara did felt better than making a working Lightsaber, he wanted more but didn't know how to ask for it.

"Oh that's too bad." She said but wouldn't give up. "Are you sure you couldn't s-stop by real quickly?"

"Sorry." Fox said brushing her offer away like the trash on the streets.

Fara's ears large ears drooped. Her ears were the main source of the teasing she once endured when in reality they actually added to her appearance than took away anything. Even when Fox was warped completely on the Jedi girl he had to admit she was cute, maybe not as cute as the Jedi girl but still cute all the same.

"Maybe tomorrow though. I'll ask if I can come in an hour later and we can hang out then." Fox said trying to lift her spirits when he saw how downcast she became.

"That'd be great!" Fara said lighting up. She lit up so much in fact that she hugged him without warning. Fox was a little put off but returned the gesture. When Fara moved to separate Fox held her there and locked her brown eyes in his wild green ones. Even at the age of ten they had powers to entice people and that is exactly what happened to Fara. They both leaned in and shared together their very first kisses.

"Aw now isn't that cute?" a voice cackled behind them.

Fox and Fara broke apart quickly and saw two men in black cloaks and masks. Fox didn't have to know anything about them to fear them. They carried fear with them like a storm cloud and Fox forgot to bring an umbrella. The strange men in cloaks and masks walked towards Fox and Fara with long strides. Fox immediately put himself between them and Fara.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Fox growled showing his fangs.

"My it seems we have a little fighter here doesn't it?" the taller one laughed, his voice and laugh was completely hollow like he had no life in him, only darkness. His hands reached inside his robes and pulled out the hilt of a Lightsaber.

"Calm down Kessler, they're only kids. Exposing ourselves just for their case isn't worth it." the smaller one squawked. The smaller one's mask pointed out like a birds and Fox could see his shoes were made for an avian.

"But there aren't any witnesses around, not a single soul." The taller said igniting his Lightsaber. The Lightsaber was a bright red unlike Fox's which was deeper and slightly thicker.

"In that case have fun-" the smaller one said before doubling back in horror. The taller man also reeled back as the deep blood red saber ignited from the hilt in Fox's hands. Even Fara trembled before the awesome evil that seemed to seep into all within it's vicinity.

"Fara get out of here." Fox said, the pounding of his heart silenced the hum of his saber.

"Fox-" Fara whispered.

"FARA RUN!" Fox shouted.

Fara obeyed and skipped past the false safety of her home and ran past it. If she went to her home it would only tell the men where she lived and keep her in danger. Fox could feel her go; it was like letting someone close run off without doing anything to stop her but Fox knew he had to protect her.

"What is that thing?" the taller gapped, his Lightsaber and body shaking uncontrollably.

"I, I don't know!" the smaller hissed.

"You can feel it to can't you? It's pure evil!"

"I know Kessler! That boy's Lightsaber it isn't-"

"HERE HE COMES!" the taller shouted as he through up his blade to defend himself. Fox didn't know the first thing about Lightsaber dueling but the fear that gripped the two men's hearts gave him an almost sure win edge. The man's responses to Fox's attacks were slow and barely managed to keep Fox's Lightsaber from cleaving through him.

As they fought on Fox's mind was blank as a small voice in his head told him what to do, how to swing, how hard to attack and that opening that just opened that would allow him to stab through the mysterious man.

Fox shouted as he thrust with all his might into the man's chest with his Lightsaber. The blade pierced through him without once slowing. The man moaned pitifully, his Lightsaber above his head that would have been brought down on the unsuspecting vulpine but Fox killed first. His body fell back and Fox readied himself for the next one.

The smaller one was going insane with fear. Ever since the young fox activated that Lightsaber he felt like he was going to die and when the boy took a step forward he became certain of it.

"STAY BACK!" he shouted and lifted his hand. Fox never saw it coming. His whole body was uplifted and thrown right into the house behind him. He dropped his Lightsaber and it extinguished the second it hit the ground. With the Lightsaber off the iron curtain of fear was lifted off the smaller man.

"What? What was that?" he gapped. He opened his hand and the Lightsaber jumped from the ground to the waiting hand. He activated the saber and felt a rush of warmth. "This, this is a normal Lightsaber but I can sense the crystal was refined by someone truly evil!" he said than looked upon the small trembling boy. The fear that once clouded the man's mind was now on Fox's head.

"So is that it? This Lightsaber seeps terror into all who aren't wielding it huh? Well let's see how you like this!" He said lifting Fox's Lightsaber above his head.

Fox looked away too terrified to watch himself die. He closed his eyes expecting the Lightsaber he made to fall any second but suddenly he heard a loud wailing scream and the fear vanish. He opened his eyes and looked up. A figure in brown robes held in his hands a blue Lightsaber and the man in black robes held the stump of his left hand.

"My hand! You took my hand!" he shouted and rushed the figure with his Lightsaber in hand. Fox saw his Lightsaber rolling towards him and as he snatched it up he heard another loud wail. He looked up cradling the Lightsaber in his hands to see that the man had just lost his other hand.

The figure lifted his Lightsaber to the man's throat. "Get out of here Sith before I take more than that!" the figure said but its voice disproved the figure being a man. The voice was too young and far to feminine to be a man's voice. In fact it was almost familiar.

"You bitch I'll see to it that you and the rest of the Jedi pay for this!" the man squawked and ran off.

The Jedi let him go and when he was out of sight moved to the fallen Jedi. "What happened here I wonder?" She said, her hood covering her face.

Fox got off the ground and tried to slink away before the woman noticed him but he was discovered long before he tried to slink away.

"Stop right there." The woman said casually but rooted Fox in his spot out of fear. "What happened here?" the woman said still examining the body. "Was there a fight between the two or was there a Jedi here? Answer me!"

"I-I-I-I-I" Fox stuttered shaking uncontrollably.

"Well who did it?" the woman said standing behind Fox.

Fox was breathing heavily and turned around as fast as he could. After a few seconds he found himself looking down at his hero and arch nemesis. "You!" Fox shouted and jumped back.

The same blue vixen from earlier who took his first Lightsaber and nearly killed him stared at him from under her hood. It took her a second but she remembered Fox.

"You!" She shouted and pointed at Fox. "The Lightsaber thief!"

"I didn't steal anything! I made that Lightsaber myself!" Fox growled, his thumb reaching for the power button.

"You liar! It took me weeks to make my Lightsaber under the watchful eye of my master! There is no way you could have made such a closely looking replica! All I had to do was put in a crystal and it worked! And where do you think you are going with that Lightsaber?" The blue vixen growled.

"Wherever I please! I made this one in three hours the day you took my old one and guess what?" Fox said and turned it on. "This one works so go ahead and try to take-HEY!" Fox shouted when the Lightsaber jumped from his hands to hers.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this but this must be reported to the Jedi Council. You're coming with me." The vixen said then waved her hand.

"Yeah right! Now give me back my-" Fox said before his free will was stripped from him. His mind went blank save one thought and that was to obey.

"You will follow me to the Jedi Temple and you will not resist." The vixen said and waved her hand.

"I will follow you and I will not resist." Fox repeated.

The two foxes began to march, one with free will, the other no better than a zombie.

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~ DUN DUN DUN! Oh boy is Fox in trouble now! What will the Jedi council do to Fox? Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the chocholat covered fudge filled reviews!_**


	3. Guiding Voice

"_They don't want me anymore. They don't love me anymore. They want to get rid of me. I just… I just never thought they'd do this to me you know? My own uncle Charlie wants me to leave and never come back. Aunt Lucy just stood there not saying a word even. Just a cold passive stare into space, she didn't even acknowledge me. No one ever does. I hate them all."_

Fox put the audio recorder down and wiped his eyes. They had been streaming tears onto his cheeks for a while now, ever since dinner. Slowly, like a defeated general Fox trudged to his bed. He clenched his Lightsaber to his chest and wept. There was no point in keeping it anymore but Fox didn't care, he cried holding the Lightsaber remembering all that happened today…

Fox sat alone in the corner of a dark room. His only light was from the electrified window that would shock anything that tried to crawl through it. Outside flying cars sped by carrying their owners around like the good mindless drones they were. Inside Fox was imprisoned in this cell and was now waiting for a hearing from the entire Jedi Council. Fox had never been so terrified, Jedi were things he was always told not to tangle with and now they would decide his fate.

Fox hugged his legs harder and wrapped his tail and around them to stop his sudden shaking. He suddenly felt cold and like something was going to happen at any moment.

'It's okay you didn't do anything wrong, those men were Sith not Jedi. But what about Fara? What happened to her? I hope she is all right. Whatever happens to me is inconsequential compared to what happens to her.' Fox thought to himself praying that Fara was alright.

Fox took a deep breath but stopped just as he was half full of air. Sounds of footsteps came from outside and Fox jumped up, ready to fight but as soon as he was on his feet he heard shouting. The voice was incomprehensible yet it strangely sounded familiar. Fox ran to the door and pressed his ear up against the thick metal door. It was cold but well worth it.

"Damn it man restrain yourself or I will restrain you!"

"I want to see my God damn son!" Fox heard the familiar voice shout at the top of his lungs.

"Sir if you interrupt Jedi business-"

"Damn your Jedi business to Hell! You have no right taking a ten year old boy into custody! Now let me see my fuc-" the voice shouted but fell silent immediately. Fox's heart sank, that deranged man wasn't here to see him after all. Fox had no father and if he did Fox would never acknowledge him, just give him a feel of the cold, lonely and bitter years without a true father that chilled Fox's very core.

Fox removed his ear from the door and drifted to his small cold bed with his tail dragging along the way. He stood by the bed and then let himself collapse on it. The bed creaked and it smelt like it was recently bleached but Fox laid there still. He just wanted to lay there until his judgment, whatever it might be but that feeling; a nagging reminding feeling told him that something either really good or really, really bad was going to happen.

A few minutes later the metal door hissed open and Fox was up even faster and ready to fight. The second his feet planted on the ground Fox assumed the stance his uncle taught him. He growled a little bit at his visitor yet despite all of Fox's hostile actions the man didn't either care or was completely unimpressed.

"What do you want?" Fox growled, ready to bust some Tai Quan Do on his ass.

"You've been summoned. The Jedi council will see you now." the grey wolf in Jedi robes growled back but twice as scary as Fox's childish growl. "And don't think of escaping, the Jedi Temple is practically a fortress, two hundred armed guards, nearly a thousand Jedi, auto-turrets. Only an idiot would try to run."

The way he said it, Fox would have given up right there if it wasn't for that nagging voice in his head telling him that that moment had come. Fox just smiled, everything was going to be all right. The grey wolf led Fox out of the cell and as they walked through the large detention center Fox's heart began to frost with strange feelings. It was like the walls of the prison were talking to him, telling him all about the bad people who were kept in the cells that all looked the same.

The hallway was long and aligned with cell doors on the left and right side. Red lights underneath the metal flooring made to look like heater grates illuminated the ominous corridor. As frightening as it all was Fox began to snap out of his distress when he saw the elevator door and the door to the stairwell. His heart beat faster and faster, his palms began to sweat, his throat dry.

"Now."

Fox slammed his elbow as hard as he could into the wolf's gut but he was too short to hit the intended target. The wolf fell down screaming and clutching himself in pain which alarmed the people around him. They were all wearing soldiers' uniforms.

"The stairs."

Fox turned around and saw a door leading to a flight of stairs. Without hesitation he ran for them. He burst through the door and locked it shut on the control panel to the door. A few voices cried out ordering him to stop but the only voice Fox was listening to now was the one in his head. Fox began to run down the stairs as fast as he could, two at a time. He made it down seven stories before the next door below him burst wide open. Three Jedi ran through the door all holding the hilts of their Lightsabers.

"Stop right there!" the one in the middle shouted and ignited his yellow Lightsaber. Fox froze on the top of the stairs, the game was over. The Jedi went up a step. "Now get on the wall." The brown caracal hissed and took another step up towards the frightened red-orange vulpine.

"Jump down the middle." The voice said in Fox's head. Fox peered down the long spiral staircase. If he jumped over the guard railing he would most certainly fall to his death. There was no way he'd make it out alive yet he jumped anyway.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" The Caracal shouted after the plummeting vulpine but his words were lost in the wind rushing past Fox's ears. The whole way down Fox didn't scream but only listened, hoping the voice that had got him this far wouldn't forsake him. He could feel the horrific feeling in his legs and gut that the ground was closing in fast. Fox clamped his eyes shut waiting for the ground to catch him.

"Reach out your hand."

Just as he reached the second to last story Fox began to slow down slightly for some reason and he reached out his hand. The wind stopped rushing past him and his heart stopped sinking. He was alive and the voice got him out of another predicament.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" An all too familiar voice screeched. Fox looked up.

"You." Fox growled and cast the blue vixen a fierce glare.

"What… why? Did you honestly jump?" The vixen asked going pink under her white fur.

"Kind of, now let me go!" Fox snapped.

"That's the thanks I get for saving your life twice?" the blue fox snapped while leaning over the guard rail. Her arm was getting tired and her stomach was a little sore from when she leaned over to catch the idiotic vulpine.

"I wouldn't be twice if you never would have brought me here!" Fox spat and began to try to wiggle out of her grasp.

"Stop struggling!" the vixen growled while trying her hardest to hold on.

"Don't stop." The voice argued.

Fox obeyed the voice in his head and kept struggling. Before long the vixen was grunting to keep holding on but Fox's wrist slipped out of her grasp despite her best efforts. Fox fell down the last one and a half story and landed but almost broke his legs from the fall. He grunted when he hit the ground but quickly began to hobble towards the door. His legs were sore and banged up but as far as he could tell they weren't broken.

"Oh no you don't!" the vixen from above shouted and jumped down. When she hit the ground she barely even felt the floor and landed far more gracefully then Fox. Fox looked back and saw the vixen with her Lightsaber lit. "Just stop this now alright?" she growled, a little pink in the face from anger.

"Keep running."

Fox nodded and ran as fast as he could to the door.

"DAMN IT!" the girl shouted and ran after Fox but he was already through the door. She tried to open it but Fox locked it from the door's control panel on the opposite side. "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" she screamed and pounded on the door.

Fox panted on the other side of the door with a big smirk across his face. He won. Or so he thought. As he began to walk away in victory he heard a sound like metal being cut. He turned around and saw a blue Lightsaber cleaving as cleanly through the metal door as it would through butter. Fox bolted as fast as he could with his sore legs away from the door and the Jedi pursuer but he wouldn't be able to go far before she made it through.

"Keep running." The voice told him when the pain became gastronomical and he wanted to quit. Fox kept running only because the voice told him to. Some people saw him hobbling by and wondered why but they weren't Jedi nor were they aware he was an escaped prisoner.

The vixen lifted her hand and the remains of the door flew away like a bomb threw them. "The Garden?" she said looking at all the shrubberies, plants, fountains and gardeners. "There's no chance he can get away now!" she said to herself and ran after the vulpine.

Fox looked back, the gap between him and the other fox was closing fast, he had to something or else she'd over take him. He fed more effort and desire into his struggled running but that didn't help enough. A tree branch whapped him in the head but he kept going but then got an idea. Fox grabbed the next tree branch and ran with it until it would snap. Just as the vixen could reach out and grab the hood on his sweater she felt the stinging branch slap her in the face. It was so unexpected she fell down, much to the amusement of the gardeners.

"GET BACK HERE!" the vixen shouted but Fox kept running. She got to her feet only to be bowled over by another Jedi. "What are you doing Sera?" the vixen snapped and threw the clumsy ferret off her.

"S-s-sorry I didn't s-see you there!" he said flinging himself up and proceeded to help the vixen up.

"Where did the boy go?" the grey wolf Fox elbowed in a tender area growled.

"This way, follow me." The vixen said and then led the party of eight Jedi after the one vulpine. Fox looked back and began to run faster than he ever had before. The sight of nine Jedi tailing him was the scariest fucking thing he had ever seen in his entire life.

"Keep running and then jump." The voice said as Fox got close to the edge leading to a twenty story drop.

"Are you crazy?" Fox asked out loud but the voice did not respond. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!" Fox shouted as he jumped over the guard rail.

"Somebody catch him!" the vixen shouted but it was too late, the vulpine was out of their range and out of luck. There wouldn't be anything to save him in this fall; he was going to die this time.

Fox squinted because of the wind blowing in his eyes. The ground that was once so far away was now closing the gap between them. His heart jumped into his throat disabling him from screaming and he watched terrified as the ground got closer and closer. Fox closed his eyes just as something yellow flashed across his vision and he hit something relatively hard but he was still alive.

"Oh my God FOX!" some one shouted but their voice was muffled like it was behind glass. Fox didn't open his eyes to see who it was until whatever he was on had stopped. He clung to something that felt like a fin and was most certainly metal which made him think it was a hover car. Finally the car stopped and Fox's eyes peeped open just as something warm embraced him.

"Fox, oh my God Fox!" a man's voice sobbed as it tried to crush the life out of Fox's little body. Who ever it was smelt just like Uncle Charlie's shop.

"Charlie?" Fox asked but all that was audible was a muffled noise.

"Fox, oh Fox how did you get out of there?" Charlie wept as he embraced Fox all the harder. He didn't let his death grip go until Fox began to push him away. "Oh sorry Fox." Charlie said and wiped his eye.

"Charlie we need to get out of here." Fox said looking towards the Jedi Temple. For some reason he felt like the vixen was still watching him…

"How… how?" the vixen gapped staring at the little yellow dot of a hover car that the vulpine had miraculously landed on. To add to her astonishment the little bugger not only survived but she sensed just before he got too far away that he was almost unharmed, just a few bruises and sore body from the collision.

"I… I don't know. We need to tell the council he escaped." The ferret Sera said.

"They already know. In fact they were watching him the entire time." A powerful voice said from behind the nine awestruck Jedi standing on or next to the waist high guard railing.

The blue vixen turned around and bowed deeply. "Master I'm sorry it is my fault he got away. He was within my grasp and-"

The new Jedi held up a gloved hand to stop her. "It is all right, you are at no fault. We knew he was going to escape the second you brought him here. Come with me."

"Yes master." The vixen said and followed behind her teacher leaving the dumbstruck Jedi behind with more questions then clues…

Fox panted as he watched the tall skyscrapers, people on the elevated sidewalks and other hover cars speed by. The day had taken its toll on him leaving him feeling drained and absolutely exhausted. And it was still not over. The vixen knew where he worked and from there they could find out where he lived. If he was going to get away from the Jedi he'd have to drop under the radar, disappear and ultimately leave his uncle's care.

'No I'm not going to run. If that was what qualifies as a Jedi then I have nothing to fear. They were as impressive as Gizka trying to fight a Rancor. Maybe if I can rough one of them up a bit they might just leave me alone… or send more Jedi. Either way I am going to stay and fight.' Fox thought to himself.

Charlie cleared his throat and began to speak in a shaky voice. "Your aunt Lucy and I were so worried when we got word of you being taken into custody by the Jedi. We thought you might have killed somebody." Charlie laughed weakly.

Fox tried to swallow but the sudden realization that he was a murderer hit him. At first panic, regret and anguish hit Fox with more force than a pillow sack full of bricks but that gave way to relief, hope and pleasure. He didn't feel good about taking a life but instead he felt good he managed to defend himself and Fara from certain doom and if the situation ever arose again he'd be able to make that clean stab again and again and again.

Charlie continued when Fox kept silent and the pensive look on his face as it looked onward out the window at all the rushing objects. "I tried to go and see you but they threw me out. I did manage to get one of them in the nose though, those blasted Jedi. Who do they think they are taking my nephew into custody like that? Fox if another Jedi comes after you come to me immediately and I'll take care of him."

Fox heard him but from the looks of him it almost seemed like he was oblivious to anything outside his own world. Finally Charlie's house came into sight and Fox breathed a sigh of relief when the car landed in the drive way. Charlie parked the car inside the open garage and when the door was closed Fox opened the door with a shaky hand. He got out and nearly collapsed because his entire bodily system was spacing out.

"Lucy will be home in a few minutes, she went to go check on that Fara girl. Her parents called us when she didn't show up on time and figured that she might be over here but when we told her we hadn't seen you or her that was when the panic button was pressed."

"Is Fara okay?" Fox asked in a hollow voice making Charlie shiver.

"Y-yeah she is apparently thanks to you. She said you saved her from two bad men with Lightsabers but she must be delusional with fright. I know you're one tough S-O-B like your ol' uncle Charlie but Lightsabers are out of any ten year olds league…. What did happen Fox?" Charlie asked peering at the downcast vulpine.

"I… I don't want to talk about it right now uncle… I just want to rest for a minute." Fox said, his hollow voice becoming gravely and coarse like he was on the verge of tears.

"Of course Fox but did the Jedi or those men hurt you?"

Fox shook his head while keeping his troubled eyes out of Charlie's prying ones. "No one hurt me but I hurt somebody. I hurt them really bad and I need to think on it."

"Sure Fox. I'll take you to bed." Charlie said softly. He led Fox up to his room and made sure he got into his warm, soft, safe bed alright.

"Thanks Charlie." Fox said before his tired little head plopped down on his pillow. Charlie smiled and put the covers over Fox before leaving. He made it all the way to the living room before there was a knock at his door. Fearing the worst Charlie grabbed memento from the first Lylat War and made sure the blaster was fully charged.

"Coming." He said when the blaster shone green for full. Weeks of war and battle rushed back to him and he crept slowly towards the door but he was not afraid. No matter what he would protect his nephew he revered as a son. His hands slid slowly across the handle and when his hand was wrapped completely around it without a second's hesitation or warning the door was thrown wide open, his blaster raised for a point blank head shot and yet nothing was there. He looked up and down the street but saw no one. Charlie shrugged and turned to go back inside but his feet sent something rolling inside the house.

"What is this?" Charlie queried as he picked up the Lightsaber hilt and the holo-note attached to it…

Fox moved quickly, his arms merely blurs, his body untraceable and people fell before him. He carried a Lightsaber in each hand, one blood red and the other cerulean blue. The red one tore the good people's limbs off before killing them while the blue merely disarmed evil people and gave them nothing more than a minor burn or two. It wasn't long until there were bodies piled up around him and the moans of wounded men, women and children sounded like a pain racked gospel.

Just as he was about to shut off his Lightsabers something pierced through his back all the way through his chest. Fox looked down and saw a blue Lightsaber humming and pulsing inside of him. He turned around slowly as his strength began to vanish the longer the blade of energy remained inside him. His attacker came into view and lo and behold it was the blue vixen with tears in her eyes, ears flattened and a look of absolute despair on her face. The last thing Fox saw was her lips moving in a pattern that looked like "I'm sorry."

"AH!" Fox shouted as he snapped out of his nightmare. He was cold despite the two thick blankets on him and to make matters worse he was dripping with sweat. Despite his apparent three hours of rest he still felt even more tired than before his nap. Figuring the clock was broken and that he hadn't been asleep for too long Fox got up anyways. Sleeping didn't fancy him right now and he could smell his aunt's delicious barbecue ribs. His stomach roared in protest of his absence at the table and so Fox drifted to the door.

His feet walked across the cold hard wood floor with absolute stealth so his uncle and aunt did not notice him before he surprised him with his sudden presence.

"Fox! Oh my God don't do that to me!" his aunt Lucy, a black and white rabbit doe said after nearly dropping a pot of mashed potatoes.

"Sorry aunt Lucy." Fox said, his voice still coarse and hollow which worried both Charlie and Lucy. Usually he was perky, energetic and would be on his seconds on Lucy's Ribs night but not tonight. It was like he was no longer their nephew they came to love like a son.

"Uh… Fox there is something we need to talk about." Charlie said pushing his plate away. He wiped the spices and barbecue sauce off his face and hands on a napkin before he continued. "I got a letter today." Charlie said handing Fox the holo-note.

Fox looked at the note but didn't care to read it at the moment, he was just so tired. "It is a summons to the Jedi Council-"

"I'm not going back! I'm never going back!" Fox nearly shouted and stood up quickly. "Those Jedi are no better than Sith! All they do is steal, hurt and try to kill me! I will never go back!"

"Fox please listen to me for a second. The note explained everything to me, you never were their prisoner."

"Then why did they lock me up?" Fox snapped, lashing his anger at Charlie who had no fault in the situation but Fox needed to vent.

"That was a test and the Jedi Council has dictated that you passed." Charlie said softly despite his nephew's brash anger towards him.

"Test? A test for what?"

"A Padawan's inauguration test." Lucy said standing by but was taking no side in this discussion.

"What? Why would I-" Fox began but stopped when he saw his Lightsaber hilt in Charlie's hands.

"They said you could have this back and they were hoping you would accept their offer. Fox they want you to become a Jedi." Charlie said placing the Lightsaber down on the table within Fox's reach.

Fox picked the Lightsaber up like it was an ancient holy relic. He almost ignited the saber but decided against it. "I refuse. I don't want any ties with Jedi." Fox said but pocketed the Lightsaber anyways, after all he made it and it was his to begin with.

"Please reconsider Fox. I think this is something you shouldn't decline-"

"Uncle!" Fox gasped hardly believing his ears. Charlie hated Jedi but now he wanted him to become one. Why?

"Fox I think you would make a great Jedi, a far better one than the ones they got now. I know you are destined for great things and to do even greater things which is why I think you should become a Jedi… I already said you had accepted."

Fox's mouth fell agape and tears streamed down his cheek. "But why? I don't want this Uncle Charlie! I just want to be a normal person not some Jedi freak! Please don't make me do this!" Fox begged as the hot tears rolled down his cheek. The look on his face crushed his uncle but it was too late now, Fox had to become a Jedi, it was his destiny just like his father's.

"I'm sorry Fox but I know this is in your best interests." Charlie said so tactlessly that it enraged Fox.

"Oh I get it! You don't want me any more is that it?" Fox shouted, his fur beginning to stand on end and muzzle curl back to show his pointy teeth. "You never wanted me to begin with!"

"That's not true Fox." Charlie said but Fox wouldn't hear what he had to say anymore.

"Don't lie to me uncle! If you wanted me you wouldn't have signed me up to become a Jedi! I never wanted to be one! They're all rotten to the core! Why do you think that so many of them have become Sith?" Fox asked before he began to leave.

"Fox wait." Charlie said putting his hand on Fox's shoulder to stop him only to have it slapped away.

"Don't touch me! I have nothing to say to you anymore… I… I hate you!" Fox shouted then left his crushed uncle and aunt in the quite kitchen.

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~ Hey peeps mmmm peeeeeps.... Oh sorry! Well I hope you enjoyed, this chapter took so long because I was at a complete loss as to where I wanted this story to go for a second but I think I got it down now. Hope it's up to snuff!_**


	4. The Jedi Council

"I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do, I don't know anything about everything! I wish I never made this stupid Lightsaber all it has done is made me a target. I swear I might just end up really hurting someone or if I feel like it, killing them. And that voice… was his offer really the right way for me?"

Fox played with his little white ponytail on the back of his head, he felt like such a tool. How he was managed to be tricked and put in this situation was beyond his level of understanding. Still things weren't all bad in fact after today he'd say things were looking up had it not been for what happed towards the end….

"Fox? Are you awake?" Charlie asked the little vulpine still in bed despite the time. It was almost ten o'clock on a school day but Fox wasn't going to wake up today, he was just too spent and he didn't want to deal with life at all, just sleep. Sleep and lie there, that's it.

Charlie closed the door causing Fox to breathe a sigh of relief and curl into fetal position. Now he felt alone and isolated, like Charlie wasn't within walking distance. Now he felt at peace. Fox's eyes began to close and just as he began to slip into a deep sleep in his warm cocoon of blankets, pillows and soft bed he began to think of that blue vixen and other things along the way.

'She saved my life twice… she even took out that Sith no problem but I also took out a Sith. How did I do that anyway? I had no education with a Lightsaber yet I managed to kill someone who was without even singing any of my fur! I bet she's really good with a Lightsaber. At least I think she might be if what I heard about blue Lightsabers is true. I wonder why she saved me and yet she was so mean to me… did I do something wrong? I think I did if they locked me up. And yet Charlie wants me to become one of them!' Fox thought and now his blood was beginning to boil.

'Why would he do that to me? The only reason is he really doesn't love me! I bet he never did! He probably only watched over me so that way he wouldn't feel guilty about letting his best friend's son die! Whatever, at least when the Jedi take me away to who knows where I won't have to speak to him ever again. I hate him!'

As Fox thought on, resenting his uncle and trying to sift through his confused feelings for the Jedi and that vixen he slowly succumbed to slumber…

Charlie wiped his counter top for the nineteenth time that hour. He felt absolutely terrible for signing Fox on to become a Jedi, the things he despised. But if what that Jedi who came to see Fox while he was asleep said was true then he had no choice. Fox was one of the most Force sensitive beings to be discovered in the history of the Jedi and if the Sith got their hands on him they'd twist him into something no one would be able to stop.

"You did the right thing dear." Lucy said as she stopped Charlie's numbing hand. "I know letting him go hurts and it feels like we are abandoning him but that man was right, besides Fox will be in good hands since that man-"

"I know, I know… I just can't shake off what Fox said to me though. Did you see how bitter he was to me? The way he looked at me? Like I was the worse thing in the Lylat." Charlie sighed, his voice shaky. "Damn kid, he's got me all worked up." He chuckled sadly when he began to shiver with raw, sad emotion.

"He's his father's son and you know how even his father used to get you riled up. He even led half of Lylat into battle with you along with it! If it weren't for you, we'd all be what we're trying to protect Fox from. The Sith." Lucy said holding on to Charlie's hand.

"I know that. His father was one Hell of a friend and his boy is one Hell of a son… I am going to miss him. He could fix anything he got his little hands on." Charlie said but began to lose it. His voice broke and he was succumbed to a spasm of heavy sobbing. Lucy tried her best to comfort him and he let it all out.

"He hates me! Did you see his face? He hates me! Our own Fox hates me!" Charlie wept.

Lucy let her husband's tears seep into her shirt and patted Charlie on the back, letting him know it was alright. "No dear he doesn't really hate you. Kids get like that, they get angry and think things they later regret. I know Fox does not hate you, he loves you to death! You're like a father to him and he'll come around once he's cooled down. Just have faith in our son."

"I wish he was our son. Oh God I wish that every day." Charlie said, his sobs beginning to subside…

Fox sighed. He woke up again and all the hatred, resentment and the stinging sense of betrayal returned. Sleep kept them away until he woke up. He just wished he could sleep forever and never wake up. Just escape everything, Charlie, the Jedi, the blue vixen that he still had no idea what her name was. End it all.

"I know what you're thinking and I know you're stronger than that Fox."

Fox became tense, someone was in his room. Without another second's hesitation Fox jumped out of the bed and drew his Lightsaber. The room basked in a deep blood red glow and not even a small rodent could hide in his room now. Fox looked around for the owner of the deep, powerful and almost tranquil like voice but there was no one there.

"W-who said that?" Fox growled becoming a bit nervous.

"Names aren't important but what I have to say is." The voice lulled and strangely Fox's fear began to slowly weaken and die out until he felt almost as comfortable as he did around Charlie and Lucy.

"Well whatever it is I don't really care to know-"

"Oh but I think you do. Does the name James McCloud ring a bell?"

Fox wracked his brain. "Yeah, he was the Jedi that helped the Councilor Pepper banish the Sith Lord Andross to planet Venom."

"And do you know why he was able to do all the things he did in war?"

"He was a Jedi?" Fox asked and lowered his Lightsaber but did not deactivate it quite yet.

"Not just any Jedi but a Jedi who could use both dark and light sides of the Force."

"Dark and light? There's a difference?" Fox asked, his views on Jedi and Sith being questioned the more the man's voice spoke.

The voice chuckled. "My boy there are many things that you don't understand. Did you know that the Jedi practice many things that go against the basic principles of life?"

"What do you mean?" Fox asked.

"Well for one the Jedi aren't allowed to love, the Jedi aren't allowed to feel emotions, just be lifeless and mindless drones to the Force. But you know what? There are better options."

"Why are you telling me this?" Fox asked, he didn't trust the voice anymore but he did dislike the Jedi even more. He could never imagine not being able to feel emotions and be some worthless drone.

"Why? Well because you are going to become some worthless Jedi are you not?"

"Well yeah sort of-"

"But only because your being forced to right?" The voice interrupted.

"Yeah I guess but-"

The voice interrupted Fox again. "Why not do something with your life? Why not do what you want to do? Why not make everything yours?"

Fox hesitated as he thought about it. "Well maybe-"

"Don't do what people say, do what you want to do. If you want something take it! If you want to be someone you can't join the Jedi! They will restrain your true potential, they will destroy your future, and they will keep you living amongst the pathetic masses!"

"Who are you? Why are you saying these things?" Fox asked, his adrenaline rising due to the strange new threatening tone the man's voice had taken on.

"I told you, my name is not important but what I have to say is! I am telling you these things because I don't want you to fall down the same path I did! I don't want the Jedi to destroy another bright, young and potential filled child! You have the choice to let the Jedi taint your mind with thoughts of pacifism or you can join me."

Fox growled. "No. No I won't join you! I hate the Jedi but I trust them far more than I do you!"

"Foolish boy!" The voice shouted causing Fox to fall down from the sheer might of the power emanating from it. "I can give you life! I can give you power! I can give you things in life you will never believe you lived without!"

"Yeah well I don't want things from people who don't even give me the good grace of their names and talk in riddles!" Fox growled in defiance.

The voice chuckled. "Well I guess after a few weeks of their… teachings you'll come to light."

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Fox shouted and began to swing his Lightsaber at random. His chair was cleaved in half, his bed frame grotesquely cut and some of his tools were cleaved in half. Eventually Fox wore himself out, the voice was gone but his room was trashed. All his stuff lay singed and burned and yet he didn't care.

Fox panted heavily then switched off his Lightsaber when the voice did not say anything again. At first he thought he imagined the voice but stranger things had happened to him before all within the last three days so he knew it wasn't his imagination.

"What's happening to me?" Fox whimpered and fell back to his knees. He didn't like these new changes, feelings, temptations; it was like puberty hit him but puberty from the force. Fox wiped the flow of tears out of his face and tucked the Lightsaber back into his jacket. He had to go, he had to leave. As much as he hated it and himself, he had to go to the Jedi, only they might be able to help him.

Since Fox destroyed everything he once held dear he only packed his clothes but then he remembered his little chest by his bed. He turned around and saw that it wasn't even touched. Fox put the suitcase on the bed and opened the chest. In there was his most sacred items, his diary which he preferred to call journal to avoid that girly name, his uncle's hold out blaster which wasn't as powerful as a normal blaster but could get him out of a hairy situation and the last thing was a picture of his mother.

Fox's hands trembled as he picked it up but he could still feel the dried blemishes from tears of the past. His mother was beautiful in every sense he remembered, that picture of her smiling at him, looking so radiant and loving tore into his heart's darkest chambers and brought out anger, tears and grief every single time he looked at it which was why he hardly ever looked at it anymore. "Real men don't cry" his uncle told him with tears in his own eyes but like a real man he held the tears in like Fox should now.

Quickly, so not to succumb to the memories of his mother he buried the framed photo under all his clothes, the blaster went on top and his journal he had been using went in the middle. Just for safety measures he put the password on it, the letters SF and the numbers six and four. He had no idea where that password came from but he used it anyways.

That was that, everything else was now broken and Fox threw them away in his little trash box which began to overflow when everything small enough to fit was in. Charlie might not like it but it was Charlie's fault Fox was exposed to all these things. If Charlie had told the Jedi no then they wouldn't be hounding Fox's mind. But that presence didn't feel good towards the end, it felt terrible, frightening and pure evil.

Fox closed the suitcase and opened his bedroom door for the last time. Even if he left the Jedi, flunked out or they reject him he would never come back….

… The room was silent yet everything moved by the man's will. Rocks floated, chairs orbited him and thousands of little insects thrashed frantically against the unwavering concentration of the man. He was clad head to toe in robes and his face was always hidden with a mask but his eyes which had become a dull and lifeless grey were visible through the eye holes. He couldn't see detail anymore, all he could see was objects through the force and in truth he didn't need the eye holes.

Everything in the nature room continued to hover and orbit when the young vixen stepped through the door and stopped ten feet from the man.

"M-Master?" She stuttered as a chair drifted towards her from the man who remained standing while she took a seat.

"Yes?" the man asked but kept absolute concentration on the objects being manipulated.

"The boy Fox Sabbath is coming-"

"I know… I felt this just moments ago. But that is not why you came here is it?" The man said his voice toneless.

"Yes Master… I wanted to ask why we are letting him join the Jedi Order? He's too old and he is wild and out of control-"

"Were you any different young one? Are you any different even now?"

The vixen bit her lip "What do you mean Ma-"

"I know how you reacted when the boy showed you his crystal deprived Lightsaber. I know that you used the force to hurt him." the man said still without emotion.

The vixen bowed. "I am sorry Master, I thought he might have killed a Jedi-"

"You are still so naïve." The man said and everything slowly fell to the ground. "You have been my student for three years and yet you still can not tell the difference from a proper Lightsaber and false one can you?" The man growled, anger rising in his tone.

"Master please forgive me." The blue fox said, her voice cracking, she was close to tears.

" Not until you prove yourself to me… when he gets here bring him before the Jedi Council, we will discuss your punishment and his fate there."

The vixen nodded her head. "Yes master." She said then moved as quickly and as politely out of the room as she could. When the door closed behind her a small tear ran down her face but she wiped it away. She was strong, she was a Jedi, and she had no place for fear, grief or despair in her heart. That is why she had to train more, she had to remain ahead of the curve, she had to show her people that she was a woman. Casting her emotions aside the vixen went to the entrance of the Jedi Temple to wait for the vulpine the Jedi Council had taken such a sudden interest into…

… Fox looked out the window the entire car ride. He was riding in the back with his aunt and uncle in the front. He hadn't spoken a word yet and doubted he would until they were long gone. Aunt Lucy tried to get him to talk but Fox just gave her a look of hurt and it struck her core hard enough she didn't persist. Fox found however that he was beginning to like making them hurt, he liked seeing the shame and pain in their eyes but he'd never over do it. They loved him and he loved them after all and despite what he said last night he could never really hate them, just be very angry at them for a time.

Finally the large twenty story high temple came into view. It was like a large fortress, no windows, large heavy doors and walls, armed guards for security reasons but the courtyard was rather lovely with flowers from all over the galaxy in beautifully arranged lines and shrubberies. Something vile crept onto Fox's tongue but he couldn't discern what it was.

Charlie parked the car on the outskirts of the temple and Fox was out before the car turned off. He carried the suitcase in hand and Charlie and Lucy were hard pressed to catch up.

"Now Fox listen, if you don't like it by the month's end you can come back home alright?" Lucy said to a deaf vulpine.

"Fox I want you to know that I'm sorry-"

"Than you shouldn't have deserted me like you did your comrades in the war." Fox growled and stopped in his tracks. Their voices and delicate ways of trying to cradle him were tiring and he wanted them to suffer, especially Charlie so he brought up an old and tender wound.

"Fox!" Charlie gasped as the wind rushed out of his lungs.

Fox turned around to give his near tears uncle a fierce glare. "Good bye Mr. Sabbath." Fox said holding back the newly uncovered rage. It was like everything was building up rage from within himself and he wanted to lash out at things he hated but only wound up hurting the ones he loved. He left them there, in the cold and without another word or look back. He heard the two car doors close but one of them sounded like it didn't close all the way because the person who closed it didn't have enough strength. Fox sighed, now the rage was gone but fear and regret replaced it. All the same he had to go face his judgment before the Jedi Council like Charlie and Lucy said. Supposedly he'd be assigned a master and other things while he was there.

As Fox strolled down the courtyard he noticed that the guards moved out of his way and didn't detain him at all unlike last time where they were trying to capture him. Another thing he noticed was the sweet scent but it wasn't just the flowers, it was something else. It smelled almost like pure nature; trees, vegetation and berries. It was the first time he smelt anything like that combination. He began to feel a little better and the sun began to peak through some clouds basking him in a warm light that brought back a glimmer of hope in the young vulpine.

That however, all changed when he came to the Temple's metal steps. There at the very top was his first crush and his mortal enemy. "You." Fox growled and almost went for his Lightsaber but remembered that if he acted hostile now the guards alone outnumbered him not including the Jedi in and around the Temple. Not only that but the Jedi girl had Lightsaber training where as he did not.

The vixen walked down the steps with a firm look on her face, it was like she was trying to not go ape scat right there. When she reached the bottom of the steps she stopped and bowed to Fox's surprise.

"Hello again." She said.

"Hello again? That's all you have to say?" Fox growled.

"No, in fact I have a lot to say. Like you have been summoned by the Jedi Council and I will now take you to them." She said then motioned with her hand. "Follow me."

"Yeah right. How do I know you won't try something funny?" Fox snapped.

"You can trust a Jedi-"

"HA!" Fox scoffed loudly drawing the attention of random guards, Jedi and civilians on business. "Trust Jedi, yes because the last time I did you locked me up and I had to escape risking life and limb. Sure I'll trust a Jedi, the second my neck feels better!" Fox growled remembering the time when she chocked him with the Force. That caught the vixen off guard, she was no longer proud of what she did and in truth she was ashamed and sorry for hurting him but she didn't want to swallow her pride and apologize.

"You've come this far, why back out now?" She asked.

Fox's ear twitched and his tail swished several times with rage. "Fine, let's go then." Fox growled and then headed in towards the Jedi Temple. The vixen took a spot walking right next to him and she felt, strange. Being around this vulpine made her feel… safe!? She felt like if a thousand Sith descended upon them He'd find a way out and lead them to victory. She shuddered the strange warmth she felt from him off and began to show him around before they got to the council.

"This is the main hall, this is where we would assemble if there was an attack. Those pillars are over a thousand years old." She said once they came to a great hall about the size of three city blocks in all directions. The pillars she was referring to went all the way up to the ceiling and were thirty feet wide. All the way up were these strange letters, runes or hieroglyphics what they really were Fox had no idea or what they said either.

"Is that structurally safe?" Fox asked noting the thousand year old bit.

"Quite safe, they're made out of a non corrosive rock and are as strong as metal."

They walked side by side, Fox taking in all the marvelous sights of artwork and depth the main hall had while the vixen took in all the awed feelings from the vulpine. It was entertaining to feel his mixed feelings but the more she let wash from him to her the more she felt regretful about hurting him days before hand. He really wasn't as bad as she once believed and to think he made a Lightsaber on his own without any help from a Jedi master. If only he had that crystal he had now, he would have actually had two working Lightsabers. Speaking of his Lightsaber.

"Would you mind if I asked you a very serious question?" she asked Fox which snapped him out of his sight seeing.

"Ask away." Fox said plainly.

"Well I'm not accusing you of anything but where exactly did you get that crystal and do you know what it does when it is ignited in a Lightsaber?"

Fox grunted, at first he wanted to bite her head off but she said she wasn't accusing him of anything so he held his anger at bay. "I got it as an heirloom from my father, I never met him and it is the only thing I have of him. And no I have no idea what it does when it is ignited other than shoot out a concentrated laser that cuts through anything… why is there something I should know?"

The blue vixen shook her head and the small tiara on her forehead shook slightly, she hadn't grown into it yet but in time it would fit as well as it looked on her. "No I was just wondering, sometimes crystals can do things other than act as a weapon."

"Oh really like what?" Fox asked becoming curious and less hostile.

They reached the elevator and the vixen pressed the button. "Well some crystals can channel the excess force a sentient life form puts out which can make the Lightsaber stronger, make the wielder stronger or weaken the ones around him."

"Wow that's crazy, and here I thought they were only good for cutting and killing stuff." Fox said as he followed the vixen onto the elevator. The elevator was empty and hadn't been used in a while so while they were in there Fox got several whiffs of her scent. He could instantly tell she had either been off world or wasn't from Corneria. She smelt really good, like the flowers outside and a strange smell close to cinnamon. It was really enticing.

"You'll find that not all Lightsaber wielders are hack and slash crazy. Jedi try to keep their emotions out of the situations they encounter and help those in need." The vixen said to Fox.

Fox wanted to accuse her of lying since after the time he saw her literally disarm that Sith and hack through that metal door with her Lightsaber but instead he found a more tactful question. "How long have you been training to be a Jedi knight?"

The vixen shook her head. "It's been so long." She laughed to herself. She sounded so pretty when she laughed Fox made a note that he should hear it more often. "It has been about three years now."

"Are you an off worlder?" Fox asked.

The vixen licked her lips with her pink little tongue. "Why are you?" She asked.

Fox shrugged. "Listen it's all right if you aren't a native Cornerian I'm actually from Papetoon."

"Papetoon." She sighed. "I heard it is beautiful there." She almost whispered.

"From what I remember it was, they haven't cleared the trees, plants and flowers out of their cities like here." Fox said as the elevator came to a halt.

"I'd love to see it one day." The blue vixen admitted.

"Maybe one day you will. So are you an off world-"

"We're here." The vixen said with a more serious tone. The doors opened revealing a large circular room. Fox didn't have time to count how many chairs there were or how many people sitting in them but he assumed about a hundred. Some chairs weren't occupied by actual people, but by holograms. "Come on." The vixen said and led them into the center of the open circle of chairs.

Fox was feeling a little nervous now, his heart beat quicker and he was thinking of making a run for it but one look at the calm and tranquil vixen next to him brought back his courage.

"Greetings Fox Sabbath, we've been looking forward to this little talk." Said a red falcon to Fox's right.

"Do you know why you're here?" A grey feline asked, her voice was lovely but sounded a little stressed.

"I have my ideas." Fox admitted. He really didn't know exactly why he was there. One half of him said he was to be inaugurated as a Jedi and the other half said he was going to be punished for some crime.

"Well the true reason you're here is so we can protect you against the Sith and teach you how to defend yourself to defend yourself." A pit bull said, he was grey and looked a lot stronger than the others around him.

"Wait aren't you going to teach me to be a Jedi?" Fox asked.

There was a pause until. "We have come to a decision" the stressful feline said "you are too old to become a Jedi-"

"That is not what we agreed on." A man whom kept his body and face masked with clothes and a mask like a fox's face.

"Master Vane the council has just decided-" a ferret began but the robed man stood up.

"This boy has every amount of potential as my own student! As she stands here before you can you not feel both their potential? It is as closely related to each other as it can be without being related by blood! He deserves to be trained!" the man argued while keeping a calm voice.

"Master Vane he is too old! No one will train him-"

"Then I will." Master Vane interjected which caused an uproar.

"Another student? You all ready have one!" The pit bull barked.

"What are you trying to prove Vane?" the grey feline hissed from across the room.

"Master." The vixen whispered to herself and only Fox heard her. As far as Fox knew something bad just happened and it would affect the vixen in a negative way as well.

"Silence." Master Vane nearly whispered but had the same effect as a shout. "I know that it has never been done but this boy must be trained and since none of you have the nerve or the ability to I will have to."

"Then… then you must give up the girl."

Fox saw the vixen fall prey to depression, her tail sagged, her ears drooped and her eyes became close to tears. Fox wanted to reach out and touch her, let her know it was okay but he knew that it was because of him she was so sad and that she might not take his reassurance all that well.

"I will do no such thing. I am bound by the Cerinians to teach, train and make this child into a Jedi. Should someone else try to take my place the pact between Jedi and Cerinians will be severed forever and the Sith will take them and twist their minds." Master Vane said.

"The council will not allow you to take on another student-"

"Oh really?" Master Vane growled, his anger finally beginning to surface. No one opposed him now, it was like they were all afraid of him, Fox admired the man already.

"Very well, Fox Sabbath is now your apprentice…." The falcon squawked.

"Very good. Now for her." Master Vane said and took a seat.

"Yes as for her punishment-"

"Punishment for what?" Fox blurted out, interrupting the white wolf that had now decided to make his voice heard.

"This apprentice has used excessive force and has broken the Jedi code." The wolf replied. "You should know."

Fox shook his head. "No I forgive her. There is no reason to punish her if there is no harm done-"

"You are still young so we will let that one go." The wolf growled.

"The Jedi Code is everything we stand for young one." An old red vixen explained. "Without it we would be just another Sith cult."

"But-"

"Stop." The blue vixen said. "I did break the code so I deserve punishment… but thanks." She said and fox could almost see a small smile on her muzzle. At least he thought he saw one.

"Very well, for breaking the Jedi Code the Council sentences you to-" The pit bull began but once again Master Vane interrupted.

"Master Rand might I suggest something?"

Master Rand growled but did not object.

"Since Fox is so new to all this perhaps Krystal should be made Fox's personal guide, at least until he adapts to his new environment."

"Krystal." Fox whispered to himself as the name became burned into his mind along with the blue vixen's beautiful face.

"That does seem like a better suited punishment, helping the one she hurt… are we all agreed?" The pit bull asked not expecting any disagreements. Master Vane was the Jedi Council's will because everyone was afraid of him. When he spoke no one disagreed but the thing was he hardly ever spoke at a meeting so he was allowed to all the meetings.

"Very well then. Krystal you are now Fox's personal guide and you shall show him around and lead him to wherever he needs to go at any time of day or night."

Krystal, the blue vixen at Fox's side bowed. "Yes Master Rand."

"You are dismissed. Both of you." The pit bull growled.

Together Fox and Krystal left the Jedi Council. He didn't know what to think, he felt like he got off easy for a very serious crime. Once in the elevator Fox choked the strength out to ask the vixen Krystal something.

"So what happens now?" Fox asked.

"I… I don't know. Nothing like this has ever been done before. Just know one thing" Krystal said, her fiery anger returning "we may be students together but I still don't trust you and I won't lose to someone like you!"

"Someone like me?" Fox growled. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean some ignorant, untalented, idiotic thief!" Krystal snapped.

"Well guess what _Krystal_, I don't care who you are or anything about you at all! In fact you best watch your back because within a month I'll be at your heels and that's a promise."

The elevator door opened. "I'm sure you will." Krystal scoffed. "Now follow me to our room."

Fox hesitated but soon followed her. He didn't know what happened but somehow they went from cautious and almost friendly terms to spiteful, hateful terms all over again. This was going to be a long and arduous adventure.

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~ Hey guys sorry it took so long, I wanted this chapter to be good and I've been fighting with myself as to how the story should unfold. I hope however the extended length (twelve pages on MW and almost six thousand words) might make up for it slightly. Anyways hope you enjoyed!_**


	5. Day One

"_What have I gotten myself into? I don't belong here! Everything is so strange and alien here! I'm still reeling from the shock of today. Nothing makes sense anymore… I feel so alone. No one's there anymore, I feel… I feel like I… I wish I could see Uncle Charlie, he'd know what to do. I miss him and Aunt Lucy so much… I'm such an idiot. But still I can't fail; I have to succeed before I can ask for Uncle Charlie's forgiveness."_

The red button was pressed and the recording stopped. Since Krystal wasn't around Fox felt like catching a couple extra minutes of sleep. She was so strict and she was hard to live with but she did have her rare moments where she acted like a nice person and actually helped Fox….

"You see this half?" Krystal said walking down an invisible line in the room. "This is my half. That side is your half. You are not to cross the line, move anything over the line or even breathe on the-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah just shut up for a minute!" Fox growled as he put his suitcase onto his little cot. Krystal's cot looked much bigger and more comfortable but he wasn't going to be an envious little prick. Besides soft things make a person soft and if he had to sleep on a bed of nails then he was fine with that.

"I'm serious! Not one pair of dirty underwear-"

"Uh huh." Fox hummed as he unpacked his stuff. He made certain that Krystal didn't see the blaster, the audio recorder or the picture of his mother. In one haul he moved everything he owned that wasn't on him into the footlocker at the foot of his bed.

"This is not a joke Sabbath-"

"Fox." Fox interrupted.

"What?"

"Fox is fine. Call me Fox." Fox said coldly.

"Alright Fox then. Anyways this is a serious matter!" Krystal said sitting down on her bed glaring at the fidgeting vulpine. He wasn't being as stealthy as he thought, she already saw the butt of his gun and was pretty sure he had something else in the pile of clothes he dumped into the footlocker but she also sensed that he had something in his locker he really didn't want her to see.

"We are the first students in thousands of years to be granted to one master! If one of us slips up it reflects the three of us!"

"Great." Fox grunted and pretended to type in more digits in the panel on the footlocker than he needed.

"Okay no one has a fourteen digit code Fox. You shouldn't worry I'm not going to go through your stuff." Krystal scowled.

"Still." Fox replied as he saved the password S F Six Four.

"This is going to be a long apprenticeship." Krystal sighed. "Especially with a dolt of a coed like you."

"Tell me about it. I got this one peer who's tried to choke me, steal from me, warped my mind, and oh what else has she done?"

"Give me a break! No one outside the Jedi Order has ever made a Lightsaber that looked so similar! I thought you killed a Jedi and-"

"Don't give me that crap!" Fox barked and glared at the vixen. "Just because you assume gives you no right to do stuff like that! You just wind up hurting people lashing out in anger… and…" Fox said but then thought of the stuff he did to Charlie "and well… just don't do it again." Fox said than laid down on his bed, his back to the vixen.

Krystal could feel the conflict within him. Guilt, anger at himself and grief were all trying to fight for the top seat in his mind. There was something going on in his mind that Krystal had no idea or business looking into so she decided to let him deal with it on his own.

"Oh one more thing." Krystal said before Fox could pretend he fell asleep.

"Hmm?" Fox hummed.

"Just because you are an apprentice doesn't mean they'll let you stay here forever. You have got to prove that you are up to snuff or you will be dropped. I've seen a lot more people with more sense, potential and ability than you get dropped." Krystal said snidely and then flipped the switch from halfway across the room….

The next day Fox woke up early but not as early as the blue vixen who'd already gotten up, got dressed and left.

'I'll never beat her at this rate.' Fox thought angrily to himself as he got out of the bed as quickly as he could. Since Krystal wasn't there Fox took a quick shower in the bathroom which he was starting to need. After he was dressed in fresh clothes Fox put on his grey flight jacket and under that he had his Lightsaber at the ready.

"What do I do now?" Fox wondered as he reached the heavy metal door. He wasn't exactly given a schedule, Krystal only showed him where his room was and that was in the youngling's quarters, room sixty four. There was no one else in the quarters, he really overslept. Maybe he was supposed to already know? Man he'd feel like a complete idiot after running around all day doing absolutely nothing. Running on instinct Fox ran right out the door and right into Master Vane.

"You stupid Bantha fodder! Why were you… oh hi Master Vane!" Fox said when he looked up and saw the smiling yellow mask of a fox.

"That is quite a mouth you have Fox." Master Vane said simply.

"Yeah sorry about that Master Vane I was a little confused and panicky."

"Apology accepted as long as it never happens again." Master Vane said and spun on his heel. He only managed to get five steps away before Fox shot up and was at his heels.

"So uh Master Vane what am I supposed to do? Do I follow you all day or…?" Fox asked but Master Vane just walked on as if he didn't hear Fox. Not knowing what else to do Fox played orange shadow to Master Vane.

Master Vane walked fast but not fast enough to lose Fox. It didn't seem like Fox was annoying him or anything and eventually they came to a large open room in the temple. The room was decorated with tapestries of Jedi long since passed in stances, dozens of people were practicing by themselves and dozens more were sparring with Lightsabers.

"Master Vane aren't they going to get hurt using Lightsabers?" Fox asked as he watched a duo spar. There were two of them, one of them wielding a blue Lightsaber and the other a yellow one. It was easy to see from the far off distance that the duelist with the blue Lightsaber was more than a match for the yellow bladed duelist. The yellow duelist was sloppy, looked very awkward in his or her movements and just couldn't catch a break while the blue Lightsaber duelist was focused, graceful and caught every opening and opportunity.

"Those are practice Lightsabers which" Master Vane said as Fox's Lightsaber jumped out of Fox's open jacket and into Vane's hands "is what you'll be practicing with." Master Vane said handing the hostile Lightsaber.

"Hey! Give that back!" Fox growled as he reached in vain for his most prized possession.

"You can have this back after you pass the mandatory training and tests." Master Vane said while pocketing the Lightsaber and holding Fox back with one hand.

"Alright then what are the tests?" Fox snapped.

"Beat her." Master Vane said and pointed to Krystal whom was standing over her vanquished foe.

Fox smiled. "Piece of cake." He said causing Master Vane to chuckle to himself. "What?" Fox asked.

"Just watch Fox." Master Vane said as the fallen duelist left and three older apprentices entered the thirty feet in diameter training circle. They all switched on their Lightsabers while Krystal deactivated hers. Fox frowned, that was a stupid move, now she was completely open to an attack. The electricity in the air built as no one moved a muscle or gasped a whisper of air. Even Fox, who was skeptical, was feeling the intensity and a small bead of sweat rolled down his orange fur from his forehead.

Then it happened. The duelist from behind attacked and went for Krystal's neck but she ducked as he swung. She used her opponents force against him and shoved him to the ground with her shoulder while he was in mid-swing. Her opponent went down and Krystal's Lightsaber hadn't even been turned on. She didn't go for a finishing blow or even make a move to attack her fallen foe, Krystal just stood there waiting for their next move.

Her downed opponent got up and the two others converged on him and at that moment they all struck. Everything happened so fast Fox barely even saw it. Each one struck to kill her but in what seemed like an instant she activated her Lightsaber and "hacked off" the arms of every duelist causing them to drop their Lightsabers. Fox's muzzle dropped as all three combatants hit the ground holding their pain racked wrists. With just one stroke she beat three people twice her size and surely four or maybe five years older than her.

"Whoa." Fox managed to say as the three slinked away from Krystal whom enjoyed a round of applause from the onlookers.

"She's the finest young swordsman I have had the honor of training. You'll have a hard time beating-" Master Vane said just before Fox ran at the training circle, his green practice Lightsaber humming with enthusiasm. "He's got guts, but no brains… he's fodder for sure."

"Hey Krisy!" Fox said as he stepped into the sparring ring.

The small smile on Krystal's face faded as soon as she saw the cocky vulpine.

"What do you want Fox?" Krystal asked.

Fox grasped his Lightsaber in both hands. "Just a piece of you." He said and made his move. Without another warning he tried to cut Krystal's pretty little head off but to no avail, she merely jumped aside looking as casual as if Fox's attack was nothing more than a little breeze. This angered Fox and he attacked again but like last time Krystal simply moved out of the way with ease. This went on for some time, Fox attacked, Krystal stepped aside with the "what ever" look on her face. People cheered them on and Fox even had his own little entourage who were mainly the people Krystal slaughtered with just as much effort as she was using on Fox.

"Come on you coward fight me!" Fox shouted defiantly but he was beginning to wear out. He was panting heavily now and sweat drenched his fur. Krystal however looked fit to do this all day and night. Not a single drop of sweat or a look of concern tainted her look of nirvana. She was completely at peace and had insignificant or no concern about what Fox was doing. That really got into Fox's skin. He shouted and rushed her again but Krystal had had enough of making him look like an idiot, now she was going to make him grovel.

Just as Fox swung Krystal's Lightsaber activated and she blocked his swing without even feeling the force behind it. Fox's eyes bulged wide just as he saw a roundhouse kick approach his face. Krystal's kick sent Fox launching back and his Lightsaber flying into the air. Krystal still kept the lack of interest look on her face as she caught Fox's Lightsaber and ignited it.

Fox quickly got to his feet and stared at his blue opponent wielding his green and her blue Lightsaber. There was no way he stood a chance now, without a way to defend himself he'd surely be hacked down. The only option was to run. He began to turn but then a drop of blood from his nose fell from his nose and onto the floor. Fox watched it in slow motion as it splashed all over the floor.

He couldn't run, not like a weak little coward. Sure he was going to lose and face an even worse beating but he didn't care. Fox was going to stand his ground because he was not a coward and he'd prove it to himself, everybody here and especially to Uncle Charlie. The orange vulpine turned to face the end; he wiped the blood off his face and glared at Krystal. The glare caught Krystal off guard, she expected him to run but she felt a sudden… fire within Fox. He had suddenly become unafraid of her again and would not back down until he was cut down. That was just fine with her.

Krystal moved to strike and so did Fox even without a Lightsaber. The two Fox's ran at each other all out, Krystal pulled her arm back to swing and Fox pulled his arm back to punch. It was already decided who would win but the crowd gasped anyways. The two blows neared their targets but one stopped just before it connected.

"AH!" Fox screamed as he felt the practice Lightsabers burn his chest and arms. He fell to his knees and immediately both Lightsabers found themselves right next to his neck. He was beaten and he might have won if he would have hit her but that was not what heroes did. "Heroes do not hit women."

Fox and Krystal became locked in each other's gazes. In Fox's eyes was defiance and in Krystal's was conflict on whether or not she won. She knew that Fox might have been able to get the upper hand on her if he would have landed his hit but he didn't, he stopped just as his knuckles touched her fur giving her more than enough time to swipe him across the chest and arms. Fox had spunk she had to admit and he had luck to boot.

A long drawn out applause of a singular person broke the static in the air. Fox didn't hear it what with the two hums right in his ears, he only looked because Krystal looked.

"Bravo, bravo." Master Vane said as he walked towards the two foxes. "Krystal your form has improved much since you first came here."

Krystal extinguished both the Lightsabers and bowed respectively. "Thank you Master."

"And Fox, you don't lack intensity but you did lack control… at least until that last bit. Might I ask why you didn't strike her when you had the opportunity?" Master Vane asked, his smiling mask boring into the young vulpine.

Fox looked away. "It wouldn't have mattered anyway."

"Oh but it might have. Had you hit Krystal hard enough you might have unbalanced her and used that opportunity to get the upper hand. So why didn't you really?"

"Shove it old man!" Fox growled. This sent shivers and shockwaves through the crowd as well as Krystal. Fox didn't know it but he had insulted the most powerful Jedi in the Order. Before Master Vane could respond however, Krystal's knee smashed right into Fox's muzzle and as he hit the ground Krystal's Lightsabers went right back to his neck.

"Apologize!" Krystal barked in Fox's face.

"Sure, just a sec. Let me get some of the blood in my mouth and I'll apologize!" Fox growled getting ready to spit in Krystal's face.

"That's enough you two." Master Vane snapped, sensing the intent in Fox. "You should play a bit nicer. Both of you follow me."

Krystal got off of Fox immediately, switched off the Lightsabers and once more bowed respectively. "Coming Master." She said and followed him towards the door. Fox stared at them as they went. He was supposed to follow them but he had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Fox are you coming?" Master Vane asked when he reached the door.

"Let's go." Fox said jumping off the ground. Although he lost today he'd strive his hardest not to let that happen again. The crowds of people watched them go and within moments they were setting up another sparring match after having completely set Krystal's and Fox's clash….

…. Fox began to get agitated more and more as the flying little robot zapped him once more making another part of his body go numb. Master Vane had not instructed him how to do anything yet, he just told Fox to "have fun." But Fox was not having any kinds of fun, his body still hurt from when Krystal burnt him, his muscles were protesting with every movement and he missed lunch as well as breakfast. He was not a happy apprentice.

The flying robot zipped around, flying to the left then the right and then up and then-

"SON OF A BANTHA HEARDING SCHUTTA HEAD!" Fox shouted as the robot got him right in every man's weakness. He dropped his Lightsaber and fell to his knees in pain, why did being a Jedi suck so bad?

"So what do you think?" Master Vane muttered to Krystal.

"He's crude, annoying, sketchy and has no place being here." Krystal responded coldly. As much as she liked watching Fox suffer pain it got a little boring after a couple loud mouthed obscenities.

"Perhaps… but what would you recommend Krystal if you were the master?"

"Intensive instruction until he gets it right and if he doesn't drop him like a rock." Krystal said making a rock rise up and then fall to the ground as she spoke.

Master Vane chuckled. "You still have much to learn. You should know by now that not everybody responds so well to your people's training techniques-"

"DAMN IT!" Fox shouted as he took another hit.

"-certainly your little friend doesn't." Master Vane continued.

"She'll adapt Master." Krystal reassured.

"I hope she does." Master Vane said. For the apprentices they really didn't have a master, Vane wasn't even really Krystal's and Fox's master to say. He would watch over them and instruct them when needed but they were not officially part of the Jedi Order and they had to be made apprentices before it was official.

"She will, she's strong… she just has to realize it." Krystal said watching Fox intently with harshly judging eyes. Fox was supposed to be able to deflect every single shot but he had hardly even deflected one but that was a mistake and about half an hour ago.

"What I don't get" Vane said as Fox got up again to fight the flying robot "is how he can be so bad when you said he was remarkable."

"Neither can I, he just cut down that Sith so quickly and easily and I couldn't help him until I got over the fear-"

"Fear? Fear of what? You didn't mention you were afraid Krystal." Master Vane interrupted and glared at Krystal from behind his mask.

"Forgive me Master." Krystal said and bowed her head in shame. "I saw Fox and a girl being harassed by the Sith and when Fox activated his red Lightsaber-"

"It's red!?" Master Vane gasped.

"Yes sir, redder than most blades I'm sure." Krystal affirmed. "Well when I saw the blade at first I wasn't afraid but as I got closer… I felt like a heavy miasma began to course through my body and my heart became stricken with fear. I was so terrified all I could do was watch helplessly until Fox was in dire need of my help. Then I sprung and performed the Cho sun and chopped off the remaining Sith's forearms in my reckless assault."

Master Vane thought over this new information very carefully. Something was not right at all and the only answer laid in his cloak's hidden pocket.

"I see… Krystal please help him, I have things I must attend to."

"But Master!" Krystal managed before Vane was long gone. Krystal sighed and looked back at Fox who was still struggling. "All right Fox enough messing around."

Fox swung at the weakened blaster bolt but he missed by a mile and it got him right in his burnt arm.

"GAH!" Fox moaned and held the tears back. It hurt so much without getting shot and now it felt like he dipped his arm in salt water.

"You'll never get anywhere like that Fox." Krystal scolded as she tended to Fox's burns. Fox pretended to ignore her and only panted heavily. "Listen to me because I'll only say this once. You are the worst swordsman I have ever seen."

That caught Fox off guard and his mind couldn't think of a retort, only a fierce glare.

"I mean that Fox, you lack form, stance, skill or any idea as to what to do."

"Then teach me! You're right I don't know the first thing about fencing and that's why I…" Fox shouted but began to cool down as the thought of swallowing his pride hit him. Fox's glare also began to fade and was usurped by a pleading look. "Please I need your help. I admit you are better than me, there's no chance for me but I need your help now."

Krystal cocked an eyebrow. Of course she was better than him, she was better than him in everyway but he thought she wasn't. And to top it off he was asking for her help despite his high views of himself. He was too cocky, prideful and headstrong, but then Master Vane said she was also cocky, prideful and headstrong.

The blue vixen sighed. "Alright then I'll show you the first form of Lightsaber combat."

The look on Fox's face was reward enough but he went a little further than a gleeful grin.

"Come here you." Fox said holding his arms out.

Krystal frowned "What are you doing?"

"Hugs."

Krystal squinted at the strange vulpine. One moment he was hostile, obnoxious and dumb but now he was… tenderly affectionate. She swept through his mind and looked for a sick reason but only found a strange feeling that she only felt when two people connected and called each other friend.

"You want a hug?" Krystal asked not too sure what a hug was.

"Yeah." Fox responded, the same happy smile on his face.

"You want a hug… from me?" Krystal asked.

"Yeah!"

Krystal licked her lips. She had no idea what a hug was but heard the word before. Maybe it was a strange ritual or fashion Cornerians did.

"Okay." Krystal said and grew tense as Fox walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Thanks Kristal, I won't give up until I've mastered all you have to show me." Fox promised while Krystal took it all in. These _hugs _were kind of nice in a weird way. He wasn't doing anything other than hold her in his arms and yet she felt, warm, safe and… happy! Then the hug began to weird her out. How could this make her happy?

"Okay I think that's enough hugging now." Krystal said as she jabbed Fox in the armpit with a bony finger.

"AH!" Fox shouted as he felt his pressure point flare up. "You know you just have to move away if you want it to end!" Fox grumbled as he massaged his sore armpit.

"I see. You Cornerians sure are weird." Krystal said and before Fox could ask questions she began. "All right now assume the Shii-cho stance."

Fox blinked and Krystal sighed.

"Stand like this." Krystal said spreading her legs and arms apart and putting her right leg and arm forward.

"Like this?" Fox asked and tried to mimic her but his legs weren't far away enough.

"No, stand like this" Krystal said adjusting Fox's legs so that he was in the true Shii-cho stance. Fox's legs were now spread wide, his left behind his right and his arms were in a similar order with his right hand in front holding his green practice saber.

"Okay." Fox said feeling a little nervous with her touching him.

"Now this is a real Shii-cho stance." Krystal said as she took a step back to examine Fox. "Your legs are spread out far enough, your arms are at the ready and your Lightsaber can defend your body target zones."

"Uh what are those?" Fox asked feeling a little bit silly for asking that.

"Where someone would most likely try to shoot you. So basically your head, chest, arms and legs are the zones." Krystal explained.

"Ah I see." Fox said watching Krystal ignite her Lightsaber. He never noticed until now but the blue was her fur's exact shade and for some reason her hilt was much longer than Fox's. He was rather curious as to why that was.

"Okay now follow me." Krystal said and mirrored Fox's stance. "The Shii-cho is the first of seven Lightsaber stances and it is the one every Jedi must learn. The Shii-cho teaches not just how to defend your target body zones but basic attacks that won't harm you if done properly and parries." Krystal said as she moved somewhat beautifully like a dancer. For a whole hour Fox watched completely amazed and transfixed while doing his best to follow her example. She was actually quite a good teacher when he didn't slip up at which point she'd chew his head off. After the hour was up Krystal and Fox stopped.

"Very good Fox I think with a few more hours you'll have that no problem!" Krystal said smiling.

"You think so?" Fox asked as he deactivated his Lightsaber and began to blush. Krystal's smile was really pretty.

"Yeah but that's if you keep practicing, day and night, night and day, every spare chance you get. You'll never make it here if you don't practice." Krystal said and began to walk off.

"Uh hey wait." Fox called out to her.

Krystal stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"Krystal I uh… I have no idea what I'm doing here or where to go for that matter and I was uh… I was wondering if I could" Fox said beginning to play with the white strip of fur on his head "if I could uh-"

"Follow me around until you get the hang of things?" Krystal asked and before Fox could say yes she spoke again. "I don't have a choice, as part of my punishment I have to babysit you. So come on, let's go get some dinner."

"Great!" Fox said and followed after her, thankful to finally be on friendly enough terms with the blue vixen. As they walked together Krystal didn't say a word and kept rather distant while Fox looked for ways to start conversation but found none until they reached the great hall.

"Um thanks again for showing me the… Chow-nii?"

"Shii-cho Fox." Krystal reminded him and didn't say anything else. Like yesterday she didn't want to form any attachments because friends weren't necessary to her, her training or her people's cultures.

"So how often do you train?"

"Every spared second." Krystal responded coldly. Fox was beginning to annoy her with his pleasantries, idle chit chat and attempts to warm up to her.

"So uh what do we do in the mornings-" Fox asked but was cut off.

"At seven is breakfast, at eight is exercises, at ten is study, noon is lunch, at one is Force training, after that at three is Lightsaber practicing and gentle sparring then at seven is dinner, curfew is ten. On the weekends you can do whatever you like as long as it's mandated behavior." Krystal said curtly as the reached the cafeteria. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go find someone, you can do the rest on your own." Krystal said before walking off.

"Uh no I can't." Fox said weakly as he stared at the dozens of people sitting, talking, laughing, eating and not making it easy for Fox. He felt so out of place, like the new kid at school. There was no table he could sit at and not look like an outsider and there was no way of hiding that he was the greenhorn. Sure enough people began to stare at the dumbstruck vulpine and conversations about him began.

"Isn't he that new guy? Master Vane's new protégé?" a green toad asked.

"I think he is… doesn't look all that strong, I can take him." A grey wolf sneered and went back to eating. The stupid looking vulpine wasn't even worth his time right now.

"I don't know man, to be hand selected by Master Vane himself you have to be something special and seeing as how that Krystal girl is already-"

"Just shut up and let us eat." A monkey snapped.

Sweat began to run down Fox's neck. He was in a glued state as more eyes and more whispers began to surmount about him. They knew, they smelt the fear he was so sure that he turned on his heel no longer hungry but he bumped into a rather short pink feline. She began to fall back but Fox grabbed her hand at the last minute and hauled her back up.

"Oh crap I am so sorry!" Fox said desperately but the little feline just nodded.

"Just be more careful next time." She said weakly.

"Yeah I'll try to… sorry." Fox said looking away, her sad grey eyes were too much for him to look at. They were so hurt, so sad and alone that he began to feel her misery to. It was at that moment he knew he had to help her. "Um I'm new here and I was wondering if-"

"If you want to." The girl said quietly and moved towards the food stands. Fox followed her and noted how she took extremely small steps and how quite they were. It was a loud in the cafeteria of course but Fox could hear his footsteps just fine but the feline's steps were like a ghost's.

"My name's Fox by the way, Fox Sabbath." Fox said as the girl reached for a plate of Rycrit stew which was really good but Fox much proffered the normal black bean soup and a slice of buttered ion bread which had more whole wheat per square inch than a whole loaf of whole wheat bread combined.

"My name is Katt Monroe." Katt said weakly. "Do you like it here?"

"Not really all that much I don't think." Fox admitted. "Everything here is so… strange."

"Even me?" Katt asked as she led Fox to a table.

"Well no not really I mean no, no you aren't." Fox said and sat across from Katt at an empty table. For some strange reason Fox could still feel eyes on him and running whispers cycling about him.

"You've made quite a name for yourself already Fox." Katt said and then took a small spoonful of her yellow green soup.

"I have?" Fox asked while dipping the avocado slices down to the bottom of his soup.

"Yes, you are the second most anticipated failure in the entire Temple." Katt said and ate a lot of her soup while Fox sat in silence, suddenly not so hungry.

"Oh… well who's the most anticipated?" Fox asked when Katt's bowl was nearly empty while his was filled to the brim.

Katt put her spoon down. "That would be me." She admitted without meeting her gaze.

Fox nodded in conformation then slowly a smile crept onto his face. "Well in that case we should stick together and-"

"Why?" Katt asked, growing suspicious.

"Well think about it, neither one of us wants to leave but if everyone who is here is right we'll be dropped. I figure if we stick together we might stand a chance."

Katt stood up and took her near empty bowl with her and Fox followed after her with his full bowl.

"So by using me as a stepping stone you intend to climb higher?" Katt asked weakly.

"What? No! I just want to see both of us come out of this and-" Fox explained as he walked behind Katt.

"Why do you care about me so much?"

"Well to be honest I know you're hurting." Fox said and Katt nearly dropped her bowl.

"So what if I am? Why does it matter to you?" Katt hissed now showing some strands of strength as well as emotion.

Fox looked her straight in her grey eyes. "Because I want to help."

Katt's ears perked back up from being flat on her head and she turned around. She didn't say another word to Fox, she just put her bowl in the massive soapy sink and left. Fox watched her go and when she left Fox dumped his bowl into the garbage, he didn't feel like eating anymore but he kept the bread for later. It was then Fox decided to head back to his room to get some sleep. It was only seven thirty but he was exhausted from today and he'd need the extra rest for tomorrow.

"Fox there you are." Krystal said walking up to Fox from out of nowhere. "Have you seen a pink feline, female, by the name of-"

"Katt Monroe?"

Krystal cocked an eyebrow. "Yes that's her."

"I kind of ran into her." Fox said remembering what happened earlier.

"Well then where is she?"

"She left."

Krystal squinted at him. "What did you do together?"

"Nothing, we just talked and ate some soup." Fox said innocently.

"What else?"

Fox chuckled a bit. "Well it would seem I've already made a name for myself here and we talked about that."

"Oh yes I've also heard. Well we should head back-"

"I think I can find my way on my own." Fox said gloomily and headed towards the youngling's quarters.

"Fox?" Krystal called after the down cast vulpine but Fox gave her the cold shoulder.

For a long time Fox wandered around the Jedi Temple, not really looking where he was going, just going on instinct really. When his legs began to ache from so much walking however, he found himself at room sixty four.

"Well that was lucky." Fox said to himself and knocked before entering. When he got no response Fox walked right in. Krystal was not there which was a good thing because he needed to vent. He moved over to his footlocker, entered the password and pulled out his audio log.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~ Hey everybody, been a long time since I updated this fic. Sorry but I need to put more time and effort into this one because it's less off the top of my head, I have all these things about Star Wars and Jedi I have to remain true to so it takes a little time. Plus I almost had chapter five out a lot sooner but I couldn't publish it, it was lacking in some fields but this redux is very similar to the first. Anyways hope you enjoyed!**_


	6. Thunderstruck

"_Guess what? I've been promoted apparently! I'm no longer the second most likely to fail anymore... I'm now the most likely to fail. Katt seems to be getting the hang of things while I can't even move a pebble as much as I can master the Shii-cho! I don't know why it is so hard! Step, next step, next step and so forth! I don't know I just… lock up! I can't seem to concentrate! Krystal says she's going to beat her lessons into me if I don't learn faster and get this, next month she's turns eight freaking years old! She's far better than me in every way and she's three years younger than I! Why. Do. I. SUCK!?" _

"Firefek!" Fox cursed as he realized he broke his audio recorder from smashing it against his desk. No matter, he could fix it if he found the spare time but not before he practiced his Lightsaber training and actually managed to move the red pebble in his pocket with the Force.

The weekend was tomorrow and all through the week from day one Krystal had been berating lessons into him and he still couldn't do anything right. Fox tried to ask Master Vane for advice but ever since he rushed off before Krystal began the first lesson in Lightsaber combat he would hardly talk to Fox. It was like something about Fox was pushing him over the edge.

Fox shook his head and began to try again to nail the Shii-cho Lightsaber form. For hours the orange vulpine practiced and practiced and practiced, he could almost get it, he could almost find the rhythm and balance to it but then he just would forget a step, move the wrong way and wind up screwing his entire focus and harmony up.

"Damn… it…" Fox panted. He was physically exhausted from the entire week, his relentless and random hours of training and the stress of being the temple's number one failure. He was so tired of failing, he was so tired of people looking down on him like he was trash because they thought he wouldn't make it and he was really tired of the Jedi in general. Maybe that voice was right? Maybe Fox should have listened to him and perhaps then he'd have gotten the right training from the Sith.

Again Fox shook his head and a few drops of sweat flew off his recently dried fur. After all the studies Fox had done, the Sith was a major topic and he learned of all the terrible things that they had done. Some Sith Lords went as far as killing newborns to thwart prophecies and some even laid entire planets to waste by bombardment just to kill one Jedi. Millions died but the Jedi the Sith Lord was after didn't, he got away and later cut down the Sith Lord while he slept.

Fox shuddered to think of what he might do if he fell under Sith corruption. Sure he didn't like the Jedi but he did agree with what they stood for but not what the Sith stood for. Still he didn't like either one at this point. If only he could leave the Jedi once his training was complete, start his own faction that did only did what was best for the people and not what biased opinions wanted. The Sith only want power while Jedi only want order and balance, Fox just wanted everything to be quiet.

"One more time." Fox grunted and began to walk through the Shii-cho again. A horizontal wave at the waist followed by another but in the opposite direction, then upwards twirling strike from the left and then followed by another from the right.

"Whoa I think I'm getting the hang of this! I don't need Krystal watching me at all!" Fox said to himself.

"You need to move your feet more."

Fox had a funny little quirk when he was surprised, he jumped in the air, his fur got bushy and he made a cute little yip like a frightened puppy.

"Was that your battle cry Fox? Needs work." Krystal scoffed.

"How-"

"Long have I been here? About twenty minutes." Krystal laughed when she saw Fox doubled in size now that his fur was standing on end.

"How-"

"Do I know what you're going to say before you say it?" Krystal giggled. She didn't like living with Fox very much but he did have little quirks that she loved to exploit and screw with, like how he tried to be stealthy, the deep shade of red he turned when he got caught with a photograph of a beautiful woman and mainly how nervous he was all the time. He had confidence in fact he had more arrogance than confidence but when someone used the Force he was just so flabbergasted he couldn't keep his jaw from hanging it was so funny.

"Um… yeah." Fox said weakly and clutched his Lightsaber very tightly in case Krystal was a witch.

"The Force." Krystal said and then sat up, making her bed groan a little bit. "You would know this if you put some more effort into your studies as well as your Force training."

"But it's impossible! How can you move a rock by just thinking of it? I don't believe it-"

"THAT IS WHY YOU FAIL!" Krystal shouted angrily causing Fox to double back. "If you don't believe you can then you're worthless!" Krystal snapped and stormed right up into Fox's face. "Give me the pebble."

"Wha-"

"GIVE ME THE PEBBLE!" Krystal shouted as she flattened her ears and Fox immediately began to dig through his pockets. When Fox offered it to her she swiped it out of her hands. "You see it?" Krystal asked but Fox didn't respond, he just stared at the pebble. "I'll ask again. DO YOU SEE THE PEBBLE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU?" Krystal shouted and jabbed Fox right in the left shoulder blade pressure point.

"AH! YES! YES I SEE IT!" Fox shouted in pain. He felt like his entire shoulder blade was going to fall off because of Krystal's fierce jab.

"Now can you see yourself lifting this pebble without any physical interaction?" Krystal asked and pulled her deep blue hair out of her luscious ocean like blue eyes.

"No it's impos- AH!" Fox shouted when Krystal jabbed him right below his navel. Fox hit the ground feeling like he might puke at any moment. As he squirmed around Krystal took some pleasure from hitting him, it felt good to put him in his place and show him that she was top fox. Finally his squirming became to long and drawn out so she forced him back onto his feet.

"Once more," Krystal said catching Fox right in his jade eyes. "Can you see yourself without lifting this pebble without any physical interaction?"

Fox opened his muzzle to say no but thought twice about it. If he said no Krystal would ultimately make him her bitch and if he said yes he would be lying. There was just no possible way. He'd seen things levitate but there were reasons behind it, smoke, mirrors, wires, there was always a scientific reason behind it. Making things float with just the mind was flat out impossible.

"I-" Fox began but was interrupted.

"Is it the right answer?" Krystal asked as anger coursed through her powerful eyes. Fox was wowed by how beautiful they were and how mystique they were. They could cut through him like a Lightsaber and they could be as soft as her healing touch but Fox didn't know they could yet, she was always serious, always professional and more often then not, mean.

"I don't know but I'll try to answer correctly-"

"Don't try, do… or do not." Krystal said quoting the wisest Jedi Master to ever exist.

"I…" Fox said, his mouth going dry and his ears beginning to droop from anticipation of being hit "don't think I can do it. I don't think I ever will be able to because it just doesn't make sense!"

Krystal stared at him long and hard. She didn't blink once and Fox could feel himself being judged in those deep orbs. The only sign that Krystal hadn't suddenly become a statue was the small breaths of wind that ruffled Fox's white muzzle fur slightly. Her breath was so cool it felt good on the tired and sore vulpine's face.

"Fox I thought you could make it, I thought that you might be my lowly subordinate but what you just told me." Krystal said but broke off as she shook her head. Her words cut Fox deeply, he didn't like Krystal very much but he respected her as a tutor and a rival and now he could tell she bore none of the slivers of respect she once had for him.

"Krystal?" Fox said weakly.

"What you just told me stripped the ember of respect I had for you. Everyone's right you know, you will fail and you will be sent home." Krystal said calmly which hurt Fox far more than if she would have said those words with any hint of emotion.

"Krys-"

"Good night Sabbath." Krystal said and walked over to her bed, climbed in and turned off her bed lamp, blanketing half the room in darkness.

Fox just stood in the middle of the room for several minutes, his shoulder blade even sorer then before, his stomach in knots, his hopes dashed and his eyes were wet. He'd just been cut to the quick and it hurt a lot. Krystal was the one person in the Temple who took the extra time to help him, instruct him and treat him like a person (more or less) but she had just given up on him. It was a sinking feeling, like he was locked in a steel room, water quickly leaking in and forcing him to scurry to the few pockets of air left in the room.

When Krystal began to snore softly Fox walked over to his bed and shut off the lamp. He collapsed on his little travel cot making it creek and groan. Krystal's snore was cute the more he thought about it. It wasn't a snore like the person sitting right next to you on a commercial flight but it was a smaller, cuter, more petite snore and Fox kind of enjoyed listening to it as the nights went on but now it gave him no entertainment.

'What am I going to do now?' Fox thought to himself as he crawled into fetal position on top of his blankets….

… Like the every other morning the past week Fox woke up to find Krystal already gone. Not like it mattered if she would have been there anyways. She was done helping him and he'd ultimately be kicked out for not keeping up with the rest of his bastard peers. No one gave him any slack, no one believed in him, it was every outcast vulpine for himself basically. Katt wouldn't talk to him, she'd scurry off if she saw him coming or if he tried to approach her so Fox just gave up at that point.

For a second Fox almost got out of bed but then he thought, why even bother. He snuggled back up inside his blankets he climbed into during the night because he got cold. Before long Fox was asleep again but this time he began to dream….

… "Where am I?" Fox said aloud as he looked around. Everything looked like rushing rivers of black and silver water but the strange scent hanging in the air told Fox it wasn't water, it was blood.

"Krystal? Master Vane? Aunt Lucy? Uncle Charlie?" Fox asked but no one answered for a long time.

"Fox." a feminine voice whispered behind Fox causing him to shiver and turn around.

"K-Krystal?" Fox stuttered as he saw the bloodied vixen glaring at him from afar.

"Good bye Fox." She said as she ignited a double ended red Lightsaber and charged Fox. Fox only had enough time to scream before all he saw was red. His whole body hurt and he screamed with the pain. After awhile the pain subsided and Fox's sanity returned.

"What's going on? What just happened?" Fox said aloud as a tear of fear ran down his cheek. He could only remember being this scared once and that was when that Sith took his Lightsaber with his father's crystal in it.

"Fox." a deep masculine voice whispered behind Fox. This time Fox quaked with fear and slowly turned around.

"M-M-Master!?" Fox asked when he saw the tall man hidden behind robes and the blood stained mask.

"I was wrong about you, I thought you may have had potential." Master Vane said before he also pulled out a red Lightsaber and rushed Fox. Fox once more began to scream in agony for an unknown amount of time. Finally when the pain faded Fox found himself sobbing on the black and silver ground curled up in the fetal position.

"Why? Why am I seeing this?" Fox sobbed and wiped his face with his grey flight jacket.

"Fox." another feminine voice whispered behind Fox.

"No! No I won't look! I won't!" Fox whimpered as he refused to turn around and face his aunt Lucy.

"Fox let me see how big you've gotten." Lucy said kindly but Fox knew that she'd only rush him and cause him pain like Krystal and Master Vane.

"No!" Fox sobbed as he hugged his knees for support and out of fear. He had no idea where he was, how he got there or why he had to suffer these pains and fears. Fox wished for nothing more than to be set free but he had to endure it for as long as it lasted.

"My baby boy, my precious little vulpine." Lucy said as her voice became louder and louder as she came closer and closer.

"Please go away." Fox whined but then he felt a sharp jarring pain in his side. He turned around to see what gored him and saw his aunt Lucy burned to a crisp wielding a butcher knife. She raised it up high and then brought it down onto Fox's face as he screamed in terror and nerve severing pain.

The next time Fox came back into clear thoughts he was no more then a blubbering mess on the ground. His tears were falling from his face into the black and silver rivers he somehow stood on.

"Let me out of here. I want out!" Fox growled, he had had enough of being afraid, of feeling pain. The next person that he saw would regret showing themselves to him.

"Fox." Another masculine voice whispered.

Fox looked up and there was Charlie. Without hesitating Fox rushed him before Charlie would have a chance to rush him. But Charlie didn't even make a move of aggression or defense, he just stood there and allowed Fox to punch him in the face. At least Fox did punch him in the face but for reasons beside himself his fist and body passed right through the hare like Charlie was just smoke. Before Fox had time to stop himself he smashed right into the ground, a small trickle of blood leaked from his nose from the crash.

"Fox listen to me-"

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO! LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Fox shouted and tried to punch Charlie again. But once more his combined momentum and lack of balance as he passed through Charlie's ghost sent him right into the hard as concrete floor.

"Fox don't give up! You can do anything because you're fath-"

"DIE!" Fox shouted as his fist went through the aspiration of Charlie. This time just before Fox hit the ground something grabbed him by the arm. Fox gasped when he saw Charlie keeping him from falling but this Charlie was different then the one he grew up with. This Charlie was clad in Jedi robes and on his left hip was a Lightsaber hilt and on his right hip was the blaster that he had hanging above the mantelpiece.

"Fox never give up, you can do this-"

"No I can't! It's impossible!" Fox shouted and fought to get his arm released but Charlie's grip was too strong.

"The Force is easy to bend and use Fox, just believe in yourself like I believe in you!" Charlie said calmly.

"But no one else believes in me! No one! Not even Krystal will teach me!" Fox whined.

"You don't need anyone to teach you Fox, you can do this all on your own and don't worry about Krystal, she'll come back and when you show her that you can use the Force she'll surely believe in you again as will everyone else."

Charlie let Fox go and Fox stared at the hare he revered as father. "How do I do it then?"

"Reach for that strength inside you, the strength you used to help Fara."

"You mean!?" Fox gapped.

"Yes, you used the Force then when you fended off three boys twice your size. No ten year old can do that without some guidance and help from the Force." Charlie reminded Fox.

"That seems so long ago and I might not be able to remember that fight!"

"Don't worry about that, just reach deep down for that strength and then you'll be able to use the Force." Charlie said but then frowned. "Fox just know that me and your Aunt Lucy love you and we always will."

"What do you mean Charlie?" Fox asked worriedly.

"Don't be frightened, just know that we do indeed love you." Charlie said making Fox choke up. Without another second of hesitating Fox rushed Charlie again but this time he didn't pass through him and he was able to wrap both his arms around him.

"I love you both too Uncle Charlie." Fox sobbed into Charlie's robes as he began to wake up….

… "CHARLIE!" Fox shouted as he jumped up out of bed. Fox was soaked with freezing cold sweat, his whole body was shaking and he was shaken to the core by that strange nightmare.

"It was… just a… dream." Fox panted as he reached down into his pocket for the pebble but it wasn't there. "Where is it?" Fox said aloud as he went into a frantic search for the red pebble Krystal-

"Krystal! She took it! Crap where am I going to get another pebble? Wow…" Fox said to himself when he realized what he just said. A pebble could be found anywhere, on the streets, on the beach, in the dirt, in your shoes. All he had to do was look. But as Fox got to the door he stopped. Why waste his time trying to move pebbles when there were so many other things around him that were usable, screws, pillows, shoes, clothes, chairs, the room was an endless supply of practicing props.

Fox sighed and sat down in the middle of the room, his back straight and his head empty of pressuring thoughts.

'Let's see… Krystal said my mind had to be clear and my thoughts absent when I used the Force so I just have to sit here and relax. Breathe deeply, like Mistress Shivana showed me in exercises.' Fox thought as he began to breathe while using his steady heartbeat as a timer for how long he'd breathe in, out and hold his breath. Slowly he began to feel calmer until he was in a meditative state.

'Now all I have to do is find that strength Charlie told me about.' Fox thought as he went through a soul search. It wasn't like looking in the cupboards or under the couch, Fox had to reanalyze the fight with those three punks….

… It was a Friday, bleak, grey and soon to be raining. Fox was walking down the sidewalk on his way home when he saw the three boys picking on the vixen in his class with big ears. A lot of people made fun of her for having such big ears but Fox thought they were kind of cute and they didn't take away from her looks at all. They were across the street, a Labrador, a monkey and the black bear that had been held back twice. At first Fox didn't want to get involved but then they crossed a line.

"Look at those huge ears, I bet she could fly with them!" The Labrador barked.

"Damn your ears make you look so ugly!" The large black bear growled which made the little vixen begin to cry.

"Hey ugly you hear us?" the monkey yelled in Fara's ears before pushing her down to the ground.

That was the breaking point for Fox. Something began to burn within Fox and it forced him to dash across the street dropping his backpack along the way. The monkey saw him coming but unfortunately for him he was first on Fox's list. Knuckles white from clenching so hard, Fox decked the monkey as hard as he could across the face and with the combined momentum of his speed and his arm the monkey went down permanently.

It was all autopilot from there. Fox beat down the biggest kid in school and the Labrador to boot without any help and when all three were on the ground bleeding and groaning Fox regained control. It was such a blur to him, dodging, blocking, hitting, kicking, blood. He didn't know what to make of it, maybe it was just instinct but right now it didn't matter, what mattered was the poor girl he beat the crap out of three other boys to help.

"Are you okay?" Fox asked the astonished vixen with two dry trails of tears running down her face.

"Y-yes I'm fine." Fara replied and wiped her cheeks. Fox held out his hand and Fara took it, her hands were warm and soft to the touch. She smiled at him when she was on her feet. "Thank you for beating them up. They've been picking on me for weeks now."

Fox grinned. "Yeah well I don't think they will anymore, in fact if they even look at you wrong just come and get me, I'll take care of it."

Fox himself was a little roughed up, his left eye was bruising, his nose leaked a little blood and he had a nasty scrape on his right cheek.

"You look hurt, come home with me my parents will have some band aids and-"

"Sorry but I got to get back to the shop, my uncle needs me." Fox said then walked into the middle of the ghost street to pick up his backpack.

"Oh." Fara said sadly as she watched Fox reach the other side.

"But how about tomorrow?" Fox asked turning around. "Maybe I could come over tomorrow?"

From the other side of the road Fox could see the young vixen light up. Her ears perked, her tail whisked around, her immaculately white teeth became visible as she grinned.

"Sure! I'll meet you after class!" She said happily.

Fox nodded then waved good bye before heading home. It was that day when Fox and Krystal first met….

… 'That was it, that was the thing I felt back then. But how do I tap into it now?' Fox thought to himself. 'Maybe if I get angry enough I might be able to use the Force… it sounds like a plan I guess. Just have to get angry!'

Fox sighed and stood up. He was ready to use the force but first he had to get angry. Everything that made him mad began to boil to the surface, frustration from being unable to master the Shii-cho, his strife with Jedi, Master Vane taking his Lightsaber, Krystal taking his prototype Lightsaber… Krystal. The second Fox thought of her more hatred bubbled to the top of his mind, her attitude, her superiority, her beatings and every little thing she did that annoyed Fox made the vulpine shake with rage. He could feel it now, the inner strength within him, it was like a flowing river that he had released from the dam that contained it. The Force began to flow through him with ease.

Fox growled and clenched his fists. He had so much hostility now, he felt like he was going to explode if he didn't release it. Fox's fur began to stand up as the energy began to erupt within him. There was no denying it, if he didn't release the rage within he'd explode because of it.

Fox lifted his hands and screamed as angrily and as loudly as he could as a lightning storm shot out of his hands. The lightning was a deep blue just like Krystal's eyes and it felt so good to let it all out. His energy began to deplete but the anger was still going strong. Soon the current of lightning became too tiring on the young vulpine and he ended it.

A sinister grin crept across Fox's face. "I didn't know I could do that."

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~ Hey guys what's up? Force lightning his first force power! But isn't that a Dark side power? Looks like the descent has begun. Anyways I wanted to tell you if you don't know what Shii-cho is then go to Youtube and look it up. Hope you enjoyed more yet to come when I write it!**_


	7. Misfire

"_Well my audio recorder is broken so I'm doing today's entry on paper… classy I know. Anyways I think I've figured out two things today, the first is how to use the force and the second is how I'll finally be able to beat Krystal! Let's see how smug she is fighting me when a surge of lightning comes her way… I might not want to overdo it though, my hands are killing me and are burned like crazy. I think if anything this is a last resort technique or else I won't be able to use my Lightsaber and then I'm really done for."_

Fox put the pencil down and then hid the log entry underneath all his belongings in his footlocker. He didn't want Krystal finding about his ace in the hole just yet. Fox took five steps back from the opened footlocker and cleared his mind. Since when Fox found out about his new Force ability he'd been practicing to unlock more abilities and so far he had been able to move things slightly.

"Okay now just concentrate on the footlocker and-" Fox said aloud when suddenly felt the lid with the Force and the lid fell down and then locked automatically. Fox's face was the definition of glee. "FIREFEKEN A!" Fox shouted and began to jump around until he wanted to move more things.

'What should I move? What should I- my pillow is a good start!' Fox thought to himself and then reached his mind out to the pillow. 'Rise.' Fox commanded and sure enough the pillow obeyed. The pillow floated three feet off the bed and remained motionless. That was when Fox got an idea. He made his pillow drift over towards Krystal's bed and at the same time made Krystal's pillow move out of the way.

"This is going to be funny." Fox said to himself. "She might even get pissed off enough to want to fight!"

When Krystal's pillow made it over to Fox's bed he began looking for more things to seize control of. For the next hour he played around with things in the room, books, lamps, clothes, small tools, anything that wasn't too heavy. Fox found that the heavier things like his foot locker and his bed were too heavy to lift but smaller things were a breeze.

"Oh this is too cool! It's like owning a Wii!" Fox said before he ran out of the trashed room to go find Krystal. He ran to the left exit in the large hotel like quarters and if he would have gone right he would have ran right into Krystal….

… Krystal had just gotten off sparring with the other students and not a drop of sweat was on her. As usual she proved that she was the top student and that no one could even touch her. Of course she did have a little help thanks to her telekinetic abilities which deprived from the Force, but other then that it was all practice, practice, practice. She only used her abilities when outnumbered, outmatched or out gunned but otherwise in duels like the one with Fox she went all on skill and her abilities. And speaking of Fox.

'Maybe I was too hard on Fox? I mean he is trying his best. No, Cerinians have to be strong and if I go soft on him he'll never learn. Besides he's stronger than he thinks, he'll come around and when he does I'll teach him again but not a second before he can use the Force adeptly.'

Just as Krystal's hand touched the door knob there came a loud shout.

"KRYSTAL!"

'Oh Firefek!' Krystal sighed mentally. "Hello Sera." Krystal said as politely as she could.

"Krystal! What's up?" Sera asked when he ran up to her.

"I'm fine how are you?" Krystal asked.

"Not much, I just got back with Master Rand! You totally missed the coolest training exercise ever!" Sera said.

"Yes well I had other things to attend to-"

"I heard you got a roommate." The brown ferret said suspiciously.

Krystal nodded. "Yeah I did, he's-"

"HE!" Sera shouted making Krystal fold her ears down to shield herself from the pain of his high pitch. "Your roommate is a he!"

"Yes he is and-"

"Well what's his name? What does he look like?" Sera interrupted.

Krystal sighed. "His name is Fox and he's an orange vulpine. Listen Sera-"

"See you later Krystal!" Sera shouted as he ran to find Krystal's roommate.

'I hope he doesn't do something stupid.' Krystal thought to herself but at the moment she couldn't be troubled. Instead she just wanted to take a bath, dress up in her night robes and sleep. Unfortunately for her plans of relaxation she walked in on the biggest mess she had ever seen.

"Oh…" Krystal said looking at the pile of books on the floor "my…" she said drifting her eyes over to the burns on the wall next to Fox's bed "God!" Krystal said seeing her pillow on Fox's bed and Fox's pillow on her bed. "What did that little Nerf Herder do? This place is a mess! And how did that happen?" Krystal shouted looking back at the burnt wall.

"That little monster better not have gone through my stuff!" Krystal yelled as she stormed over to her footlocker. The password was still on it but that didn't mean anything. She opened the locker and stared at all the contents, a loin cloth, shoulder plates, sandals, a plated bra and a metal rod. It didn't look like anything was touched or disturbed which meant three things. The first was that Fox didn't open the footlocker, the second was that Fox opened the footlocker but didn't touch anything and the last was that he opened the footlocker, touched her Cerinian ceremonial clothes and staff but then he put it back in their exact same positions he found them in.

"I'll kill him…" Krystal said as calmly as an ocean before a storm. "I'LL KILL HIM!" Krystal shrieked. She began to storm over towards the door but then she stopped herself. If she killed him that would only make a bigger mess and senseless violence was against the Jedi Code. Mistress Shivana had been trying to teach her to keep control of her emotions but it was hard for Krystal because Cerinians originate a lot of their strength and powers with strong emotions like anger, fear, despair and joy.

'No I'm not going to kill him… I'm going to be calm… I will let these hostilities leave me.' Krystal thought to herself but thinking it was easier than doing it. Her stuff was her stuff and her stuff came hours from hard work and her very own parents whom she left back on the other side of the galaxy so she could train as a Jedi and unite the extremely Force sensitive Cerinian race with the Jedi Order. Krystal began to do the breathing exercises Mistress Shivana taught her and within a few minutes she felt much better.

"There we are, now I think I can talk to him without any unnecessary violence." Krystal said aloud and imagined herself enacting some "necessary violence" on the vulpine….

…. "Hey Katt you seen Krystal?" Fox panted.

Katt shook her head. "No I haven't seen her. Can I go now?"

"I figured it out!" Fox grinned.

"Figured what out?"

"I figured out how to use the Force! I actually did it!" Fox shouted with joy. The vulpine received some looks from the people passing by him but he didn't care, he was another step closer to becoming a Padawan and then a Jedi and then… well he'd know by then.

For once Katt smiled. "That's great Fox can you show me-"

"Hey you!"

Fox spun around but as soon as he did he hit the floor. Something hard nailed him right in the face but it didn't hurt enough for him to stay on the ground. But of course that meant war. Without hesitating or caring who his attacker was Fox jumped to his feet and tackled his attacker. Both the two combatants fell to the ground this time and now Fox had the upper hand. Acting quickly the vulpine hit and hit the attacker several times wherever he could. His attacker was clearly not very good at hand to hand or wrestling because Fox managed to land all his hits, including the ones to the face. Just as Fox got up to deal a couple more to the sorry ferret's face something pulled him off the ferret with extreme force. Fox tried to move but his entire body was being held in its exact position by something or someone.

"What the Sith's blood is going on here?" An all too familiar voice barked.

"Hello Master Rand." Katt whispered but even if she would have yelled she wouldn't have been heard.

"This little Gizka sucker attacked me Master Rand!"

"Like Bantha fodder I did!" Fox snapped as he struggled against Master Rand's grip. "He's the one that attacked me!"

"Is this true Sera?" Master Rand asked the ferret.

The ferret looked away. "Well you see Master I might have thrown the first punch but he had it coming."

"What have I ever done to you!" Fox shouted as he slowly began to slip free of Master Rand's grip but just as he was about to wiggle out the pressure keeping him still increased intensively to levels almost painful.

"Well I think a punishment is over due for the both of you-"

"How right you are Master Rand." A voice said that made Fox's fur stand up.

"Oh… hey Master Vane." Fox said solemnly.

"Hello Fox, we'll talk later." The yellow fox mask said. For some reason Fox didn't sense a single trace of emotion in Master Vane's voice. It was almost if Master Vane didn't care that he got in a fight or maybe he knew it wasn't really his fault and that Fox was just an innocent bystander defending himself.

"Master Vane, you shouldn't bother yourself with this, I have it under control."

"When it regards to one of my apprentices then it is in fact something I should bother with. Punishment aside I think these two should finish their fight." Master Vane said which shocked a lot of people who were watching off scenes.

"Don't be ridiculous Master Vane." Rand chortled. "It's against the Jedi Code to fight needlessly."

"Then it will be a duel." Vane retorted. "A small test to see who is the better at melee combat so that they can find where they are both lacking and where they are both excelling. They also might be able to quell some of this bad blood between them."

"Call it what you want but-"

"But?" Master Vane interrupted and made Master Rand go slightly pale under his fur. "Do you not wish to see your apprentice's skill level?"

"Sera has been here for a year and a half, I am sure he can defeat someone who hasn't even been here a month and has yet to show any of your so called _potential.'_ Rand snapped.

'I'll show you potential.' Fox thought to himself angrily and had half a mind to use Force Lightning on him.

"Well then you should give him a chance, say sparring against young Sera here."

Rand licked his lips. The clear signs of anger at Master Vane were clear in his body language, weakening grip on the two apprentices and the bitter gaze he cast at Vane.

"Fine. One hour. Sparring fields. Come Sera." Rand said before he stormed off.

Fox watched Master Rand go and as he did the ferret came within his peripherals. The little shutta gave Fox the up yours gesture while Fox just flipped him off. Fox didn't care about the whispers; he wanted to show Sera that he wasn't concerned with getting in trouble just to get at him.

"You know Fox; I think you aren't being trained the right way and I have plans to fix that." Master Vane said once Master Rand was just out of earshot. Fox looked at the smiling, yellow mask.

"What do you mean?"

"You have much anger within you and I know I can't convince you here and now but, at least I can try." Master Vane sighed which was strange because Fox only saw Master Vane express emotions three times now. "Don't let your anger get the better of you. Remember what Mistress Shivana has been trying to teach you and don't give in to your emotions… or you will regret it."

Master Vane said that last part with just a hint of anger yet it struck home harder than any shout. Fox nodded his head and hoped Master Vane wasn't angry with him but merely trying to warn him. Master Vane was one of the only people that seemed to believe in him and Fox didn't want that faith to be irked.

"Good. Now, go back to your room and I suggest you clean it up before Krystal finds you." Master Vane said. Fox turned to run back to his room but Master Vane stopped him with the first syllable of what he had next to say. "Don't let me down Fox; I know you can beat Sera if you play to your strengths."

Fox looked back at the mask. "But Master… what strengths _do_ I have?"

"Think about it while you clean your room." Master Vane said before he began to stride down the hallway towards his quarters. Fox watched him go and felt like he was watching a phantom. Master Vane seemed so powerful in person yet from this angle he seemed, hollow; like a great heavy burden was crushing him and a planet's worth of scars inflicted pain of regret on his soul.

'I wonder what he's been through.' Fox wondered to himself.

"Well that was interesting." Katt whispered as she silently walked up to Fox's side. Since they first met Fox and Katt had established neutral ground when they trained together under Krystal's watch. Fox decided that he wouldn't give up on helping Katt but he'd have to wait till later when she opened up a little.

"I'll say." Fox also whispered.

"So what did you do to your guy's room?" Katt asked.

"Well I- did something very bad." Fox realized suddenly as an all too familiar blue vixen approached Fox. It was like watching a blue lightning storm stalk an innocent fox kit. However seeing the danger he was in Fox made the smart choice and made a run for it.

"GET BACK HERE!" Krystal shouted as she watched Fox run off, his tail bobbed in the wind behind him.

"Hi Krystal." Katt whispered as the blue vixen ran after the orange vulpine. Naturally the pink feline was completely ignored.

Fox ran as hard as his legs could go but he knew Krystal would catch him, she was faster and could run longer than he could by miles. So it boiled down to him having to resort to drastic measures to escape the enraged vixen. Fox made sudden turns, jumped down stairs, two, three and sometimes four at a time and yet Krystal was still hot on his trail.

"Get back here Fox!" Krystal shouted. Fox made the mistake of looking back and saw the young vixen, she was pissed off. Her muzzle was curled into a snarl, her hair was wild in the wind, and her claws were drawn and ready to cut. However Fox did have more motivation to run and run he did. The two apprentices ran all around the great hall, library and finally they walked all around the apprentice's quarters.

"Fox! Get… back… here!" Krystal panted. She lost all her energy chasing the elusive vulpine but she hadn't lost her anger which had increased every minute Fox avoided her.

"Why? What… are… you… going… to… do… to… me?" Fox asked as he trudged forward. His legs were burning and he felt like he was going to collapse at any second.

"Only… maim… and…" Krystal said but couldn't finish. She stopped, rested her hands on her knees and fought to catch her breath. Fox wiped some of the sweat off his brow and made a run or rather a walk for it. Fox managed to avoid her this time but next time he wouldn't be so lucky. Until then Fox wanted to put as much distance between him and her. Then Fox remembered.

"Oh crap!" Fox yelped and headed to the sparring fields. Luckily for Fox the sparring fields weren't up any stairs because in his present condition he wouldn't have been able to lift his legs high enough to reach halfway up the stair. Hopefully he'd be able to get there and have ten or twenty minutes to rest. As Fox reached the door he heard several students come out laughing.

"Oh that Sabbath kid is so screwed! Sera is really going to cut him up! Did you see how angry he was?"

"Definitely don't want to be Sabbath right now."

"Tell me about it, he's practically a master at Force push now. He'll send that little vulpine straight through a wall!"

'I wonder if he can push lightning. If he can't then we'll see who's laughing when I give him a little zap.' Fox thought to himself and felt a surging heat flow through him. He wasn't the least bit worried; he was looking forward to this and wanted to take that ferret down.

Fox tackled through the three apprentices who were not happy to begin with. However one glare from the vulpine and they kept their mouths shut. Fox opened the door to the sparring fields. There were several packs of people practicing and the sound of Lightsabers colliding and cutting through the air was almost indistinguishable. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Katt fending rather well against another apprentice and maybe she'd win but Fox couldn't hang around to cheer her on, he had his own fight to win.

"Ah Fox there you are." Master Vane said without even facing Fox.

Fox bit down asking Master Vane how he knew it was him and just said "Hello Master."

"You got away from Krystal than?"

"Barely Master." Fox sighed and collapsed onto a chair Master Vane had next to him.

"And in all the rush you didn't think about how to beat Sera did you?" Master Vane asked, no emotion, no hint of concern in his voice. It was like he was dead to it all.

"No sir, I was more concerned with my life at the time." Fox said as he wolfed down air.

"Well you better start, the duel is in twenty minutes." Master Vane said and sat on his legs. Fox stared at the man and his mask and realized he was meditating. Fox shrugged and started to think of what he'd do to beat Sera.

'Well let's see I kicked his butt without Lightsabers but he's had a whole year and a half to practice with them… maybe if I can get him to drop his Lightsaber…? Sera is pretty small so I have the size advantage but he has the Force advantage where I only just today discovered it. Still I doubt he's ever thrown lightning before. So is that it? Size, martial arts and Force lightning…? I'm so screwed!' Fox thought to himself.

"Don't forget Fox, Sera is quick to violence and is very reckless. What has Mistress Shivana taught you?" Master Vane asked.

"She's taught us a lot of things but- a reckless enemy is an easy enemy!" Fox said aloud. "So if I can get Sera to go ape-scat than… than… I might be able to get him with my martial arts and beat him into submission! After that its only a few hits to the head and its all over! I might not even have to use ligh-" Fox said but caught himself just before he said lightning. He prayed in his mind that Master Vane didn't catch that because he wanted that to be a surprise the next time he went against Krystal. Luckily Master Vane didn't hear him; he was too deep in his meditation or so it seemed.

Fox looked up at the large hologram clock on the west wall.

'Eleven minutes… I guess it wouldn't hurt.' Fox thought as he got out of his chair to sit on his legs and meditate like Master Vane.

The little vulpine thought long and hard about what was about to happen. He ran several scenarios in his mind and breathed just like Mistress Shivana showed him. When the eleven minutes was up he felt calm and focused.

"Greetings Master Rand." Master Vane said without turning around again. Fox jumped at the mask's sudden voice but was calm immediately after. Fox stood up and when he saw his opponent he got locked in a glare contest.

Master Rand grunted in response. "Is your… _student_ ready?"

"He is." Master Vane said. Fox thought he heard a small spark of anger in his master's voice but Fox shrugged it off. "Do you have any terms?"

"No." Master Rand growled.

"Very well. Duelists take your positions."

Fox and Sera glared at each other as they both walked to their marks ten paces apart. Crowds of people gathered to watch the massacre. If Fox wasn't so focused and bent on beating Sera he would have noticed no one was on his side. Everyone cheered for Sera. Only Master Vane and Master Rand looked neutral.

"Ready to see what true potential is Sabbath?" Sera growled as he reached for his Lightsaber. Fox didn't answer but merely grabbed his own green practice Lightsaber and ignited it. Fox twirled it around in his hand and assumed the basic Shii-Cho stance.

"Begin."

Fox and Sera charged at each other, the onlookers applauded and almost drowned out the clash of the green and blue Lightsabers. They became gridlocked and pushed hard to repel the other but they were stalemated. Sera didn't look it but he was stronger than Fox expected. At the same time they shoved with all their might and propelled each other back.

"Is that all?" Fox sneered.

"Not even close! Sera snapped and rushed Fox again.

Fox wouldn't admit it but as he fended Sera off he was hard pressed to do so. He'd sparred with several apprentices including Katt and Krystal and hadn't won one. Still he had experience now and he'd learned from all his failures. He kept his grip firm yet not exceedingly so which kept his Lightsaber in his hands and allowed swifter and cleaner strokes.

Then after a hail of blows the vulpine saw an opening. Without hesitating Fox punched the ferret in the face right as he pulled his Lightsaber to perform a crushing blow. Sera reeled back and was shocked from the blow.

"What the Hell was that! Foul!" Sera shouted.

"This is a duel Sera, and that was perfectly legal." Master Vane said, still meditating.

Sera looked to his master. "It was legal." Rand growled.

Sera glared back at Fox. "Didn't hurt much." Sera growled but Fox could see the bruise already forming.

"It shouldn't have, I punch your grandmother with more force than that." Fox taunted.

"Why you!" Sera shouted and charged Fox. Fox grinned darkly as he blocked Sera's blows with less difficulty. His plan was working perfectly. Sera was becoming reckless and overzealous which clouded his mind and focus. Fox casually blocked a swing to his face and kicked Sera in the ribs. Sera backed off and held his chest. He was panting now but so was Fox.

"Why you dirty-"

"That's how hard I kick your mother." Fox panted.

Sera snarled at Fox and lifted his hand but Fox was prepared and quickly jumped to the side. Luckily for the people behind Fox, Sera was too stressed out to even ruffle their robes but had Fox not moved he would have been launched out of the fifty foot in diameter dueling circle.

"Darn I would have enjoyed that refreshing breeze." Fox scoffed.

Sera panted three more times before he lost it. With a loud blood lusting cry Sera charged Fox. Sera's blows were strong but weak in grace; Fox had no problems deflecting them. Unfortunately Fox didn't see another Force push coming and was thrown back. Fox hit the hard metal floor but quickly got up just inches away from the ring line.

"You like that?" Sera growled and lifted his hand again.

Fox could hardly move. The fall to the floor had taken too much out of him and there was no way he'd be able to dodge this next push. There was only one way.

"Take this Sa-" Sera said before Fox yelled at the top of his lungs and unleashed a Force lightning storm at Sera. The crowd shrieked as the lightning coursed towards Sera. Sera was so shocked and frightened he couldn't get away. He closed his eyes and just as the lightning should have fried him to the core he was thrown aside.

Fox's lightning storm didn't last long; he was too exhausted and his hands were being scalded too intensely to keep it going. Fox cut off the current and fell to his knees. The little vulpine wondered if he got Sera and as the last bits of lightning were absorbed by the ferrets scrawny body Fox was shocked at who was absorbing the lightning in his hands.

"M-M-Master V-Vane?" Fox stuttered.

The lightning disappeared into Master Vane's hands just as the vulpine collapsed from exhaustion.

AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys it's been a while for this story huh? To be honest I was so caught up in Exchange, Hell and Honeymoon I blind sighted this story. I hope this chapter was worth the wait though. Next chapter we will see what happens and what Master Vane meant about he had plans to get Fox better training. Anyways hope you enjoyed!


	8. The Hearing

"_My hands hurt, they're burned almost to the bone especially my right. Miss Pena gave me some cream stuff but it hardly helped. She said it would have soothed my hands if they were normal burns but the Force lightning wasn't normal. Krystal hasn't said a word to me, she seems so distant and angry. Master Vane hasn't come to see me, only Katt comes and talks to me, briefly but still she keeps me sane while I'm kept confined to my room. She says the Jedi Council is pondering on what to do with me. Katt also says that people are saying they might kick me out and strip me of the Force. That's all I do now, practice with the Force until I fall asleep and I am getting pretty good at it. I can almost lift my foot locker but it's still too heavy. Maybe the Force is like a muscle and the more I use it the stronger it gets? I don't know it still is really strange to me, it's simply unbelievable the things I can do. Its way more complicated then owning a Wii."_

Fox put his severely damaged yet now working audio recorder down on his bed and looked at his severely burned hands. It had been a week since he discovered the Force, he burned his hands and still they hadn't got any better in any way. He wanted to ask Krystal for help but she hadn't said a word to him in so long. When she did come into their room she completely ignored him. Fox sighed and started playing with the audio recorder. He made it hover a few feet off the ground and then moved it left and right. His control wasn't absolute, the audio recorder rocked and tilted but he didn't drop it or allow it to sink once.

Eventually he got bored and decided to get some sleep. Unfortunately sleep didn't come so easy any more. He had nightmares of everything dark and evil. He would also dream that the Jedi Council bearing down on him like a hammer onto a nail repeatedly.

Just as Fox was about to fall asleep several hours after he first began trying to get some rest, Krystal came in and she was sopping wet.

"Hey Krystal." Fox said but was completely ignored. Krystal moved to the desk on her side of the room and collapsed on the chair. "Tired?" Fox asked. Krystal sighed but still was silent. She rubbed her temples and pulled out her Lightsaber to work on it.

Fox bit his lips, he didn't really like Krystal too much but he still on some remote level in the back of his mind thought she was pretty. She was also one of the few people that believed in him. Maybe she didn't now but at one time she did. Fox bit his lips, his ears laid back and he was close to tears. He was so frightened, like a man waiting on death row only his date was still being deliberated as was the method.

"Krystal… please." Fox whimpered. "Please talk to me. Talk to me, yell at me, scream at me, beat me, anything! Just give me some sign I still exist!" Fox said as hot tears coursed down his small furry cheeks. After that he could not bear to look at her. Fox held his head in his hands and sobbed quietly to himself. He missed her, he couldn't deny it. It was almost like somehow she was a part of him and without her he wasn't whole. He missed her intense private training, he missed her fire and he missed the rivalry betwixt them.

Krystal looked over at the small vulpine and her heart almost broke. She felt bad for Fox but she couldn't let him bring her down. Weakness was something that no Cerinian was allowed to have. If she got close to Fox then that would make a weakness. Still he was so weakened; he had no one when he was so used to having friends and loved ones.

The longer Krystal stared at the broken vulpine the more pity she felt. She started moving almost against her own will and walked towards the sobbing fox. Fox didn't hear her soft footsteps and hardly felt her touch on his shoulder. Fox looked up, his eyes were red and river beds of tears were imprinted on his face.

"Give me your hands Fox." Krystal said softly. Fox obeyed and Krystal held them gently so not to hurt him. Krystal closed her eyes and concentrated hard. When she finally opened her eyes Fox's hands were healed save a few scars on his palms that he got elsewhere.

Fox smiled "Thank you so much Krystal."

"Don't mention it. I am going strictly against Master Vane's orders talking to you." Krystal grunted.

"Oh." Fox said pitifully. "Why?"

"You mean why does he not want me to talk to you?" Krystal asked and Fox nodded. "Because he said so. I need no other reason then that." Krystal snapped. Krystal walked over to her bed and rested her head on the pillow. Fox wanted to talk to her but he was afraid to. It took him well over ten minutes to get the courage to.

"What's going to happen to me?" Fox asked.

"You'll find out tomorrow. Good night Fox." Krystal snapped and shut off the lights….

…. The next day Fox awoke in a cold sweat, he felt terrible even with his hands healed and Krystal was no where to be found. Just as Fox got up a familiar face and a familiar mask walked in through the door.

"Hello Fox." Master Vane said as he stepped through with Katt following closely behind him.

"Master Vane! Katt!" Fox gasped.

"Hi Fox." Katt mumbled quietly as she carried Fox's food on a tray to him. Fox smiled at her and ate the food ravenously. He wasn't being starved but he was very hungry all of a sudden. "Thanks Katt." Fox said with a mouthful of sandwich.

"You're welcome Fox." Katt said before she hugged him causing the vulpine to blush. "I wish you the best of luck." She said before hurrying out of the room. When she was through the door Master Vane closed the door behind her without touching it.

"Hungry Fox?" Master Vane asked which made Fox eat with a little more class.

"Yes sir." Fox said then nibbled at his sandwich.

Master Vane sighed which was weird since never showed much emotion at all. "Fox, when did you learn Lightning Storm?"

Fox accidently bit his cheek when he was chewing his sandwich. "Lightning Storm sir? I thought it was just Force Lightning."

"No. Force Lightning is a singular jet of lightning. What you did would have ultimately killed Sera instantly and then spread to everyone around him either horribly maiming them or killing them. You are lucky I was there. Not too many Jedi know how to absorb lightning or that much of it, but rather they use their Lightsabers to reflect it back at its source."

Fox felt like throwing up. He never wanted to kill anyone, maybe Krystal at times but honestly, he doubted he'd ever be able to strike her let alone kill her. He needed her and wasn't violent in nature enough to hurt her like that.

"I… I didn't know sir." Fox said as he stared at the floor in shame, his ears laid back and his tail was dead weight. "I thought that I might have given Sera a quick jolt and then be done with it but I never wanted to kill him or anyone I swear. I didn't even know it was lethal or evil."

"Fox look up above you." Master Vane said quietly.

Fox did as he was asked and shivered when he saw the huge burns in the metal wall above him. He'd forgotten the burns were there and when he first saw them his mind was clouded by joy and eagerness to see it clearly.

"That's what you would have done to him as well as anyone around him. Now tell me when did you learn Force Lightning Storm?"

"About a week ago. I was angry and I felt something well up inside of me. I had to release it or else I felt I would have exploded and then when I did lightning shot from my hands." Fox said but left out the part of his nightmare and his strange talk with Charlie.

"I see…" Master Vane said and then fell silent for a long time. Fox waited nervously like a man on death row does. He worried what Master Vane would do, hurt him, yell at him, discipline him, it all frightened the little vulpine. Finally after Fox was trembling with fright Master Vane spoke. "Fox do you know why I wanted you here?"

Fox swallowed hard and said very shakily. "Because you said I had potential?"

"Precisely. Whether those fools on the Jedi Council see it or not you are overflowing with potential like Krystal. I knew it before I even met you. Fox… not many people make Lightsabers that can actually work," Master Vane said pulling out the Lightsaber with Fox's father's crystal in it "without the proper instruction and guidance. Yet you did which is sad since you aren't receiving proper instruction here on Corneria."

"What do you mean Master?" Fox asked as Vane put Fox's Lightsaber back in his robes.

"Well for one your anger. I've let the teachers here try to teach you how to control it but you seem to be getting angrier and angrier which is rubbing off on Krystal as well. It may not be there fault and they've tried their best, I know Mistress Shivana has taken a liking to you, she won't shut up about you." Master Vane said causing Fox to blush. "Still I think a change in scenery will help you learn how to control your problems. Second is no one has told you that you're a dual wielder."

"A dual wielder?" Fox asked trying not to wonder what Mistress Shivana said about him.

"Here." Master Vane said and tossed something to Fox. When Fox caught it he felt a strange warmth come from within it. The vulpine pawed the object over and he soon realized it was a crystal. "Put it in the other Lightsaber you made and then practice the Shii-Cho with two Lightsabers. Don't worry, I already set that Lightsaber in your footlocker to practice setting."

Fox's muzzle dropped. "Master how do you know all these things? And why bother? I'm going to get kicked out and the Jedi Council is going to take the Force away from me!"

"Trust me Fox, I'd cut them all down where they stand if they even tried to take the Force from you." Master Vane said which scared Fox more than he'd ever been in his life for a moment. "You are my pupil and I will not have them ruining you or your destiny."

"My destiny?" Fox asked.

"We all have a destiny Fox, mine is to train you and Krystal to be the best Force wielders you can be." Master Vane said and stood up. "You should get ready; the Council will summon you soon."

Fox stood up and for the first time he bowed respectively like Krystal did. "Yes Master. Thank you."

"You are welcome. Take great care of that crystal though, I focused it myself and it is rather valuable." Master Vane said as he walked out of Fox's room.

"I will Master." Fox said as the door closed.

For a moment Fox stood there in shock and wonder. Master Vane would kill the top Jedi just to protect him, not only that but he gave Fox a valuable crystal he himself focused. Fox learned from his instructors that crystals had to be focused before they could be used in Lightsabers and depending on the person, their alignment and their power the crystal could be made with buffs. If Master Vane focused this crystal than there was no telling what special powers it was hiding. Wanting to find out, Fox immediately dashed to his footlocker and grabbed his crystal-less Lightsaber hilt.

Fox's hands shook as he tried to put the crystal in so after a few failed attempts Fox finally got frustrated with himself enough to calm down somewhat. When Fox put the crystal in and put the Lightsaber back together Fox ignited it and felt himself weaken severely, it was like the Lightsaber was sapping his power. Fox almost turned off the Lightsaber when he closed the footlocker on reflex. The footlocker closed too quickly and perfectly Fox almost didn't believe he used the Force but rather the wind closed it.

"That's strange, it closed so fast and… let's see." Fox said and looked at his audio recorder. Using the Force, Fox lifted the recorder off his bed and unlike earlier the recorder didn't wobble or lean, it remained motionless hovering in air unless Fox willed it.

"Wow, it's almost like-" Fox said as he turned off his Lightsaber and tossed it on his bed which then his control over the recorder slipped and the recorder started to shake violently until Fox let it down. "So the Lightsaber focuses my powers, it doesn't drain them at all! This makes things so- no, even if the Lightsaber helps I can't rely on it. What if I lose it? Then what? I have to learn how to control the Force without the help of this Lightsaber." Fox said as he gazed into the blue humming blade. It was so beautiful and it was the exact same color of Krystal's fur.

Shaking Krystal from his mind Fox started to disrobe as he walked to the bathroom to freshen up before he was summoned….

…. Fox stepped out of the bathroom, clean and dressed in tan colored apprentice robes. He thought about wearing his casual flight jacket, pants, white shirt and his red bandana around his neck but he thought what the Jedi Council would think if he showed up casual. He didn't want to leave the Jedi he realized, they had knowledge and he craved it. Fox wanted to learn everything about the Force and how to use it to prove something to himself.

As Fox walked to his bed to sit down the door opened. A not so happy face walked through and Fox remembered that the lupine before him was the one he elbowed in the crotch when he fled the Jedi Temple.

"The Council has summoned you." The grey lupine growled. "I wouldn't be surprised if they had you flogged, strip you of the Force and cast you out like garbage."

"Still a little sore are you?" Fox growled back.

"A little bit yeah. But I might be the one who gets to do the flogging and that will make me feel a little bit better." The lupine growled.

"When are you going to pull up your stockings, tighten your thong and stop being such a pus-"

"Watch your mouth Fox!" Krystal snapped as she shoved past the lupine. For some reason the lupine growled in his throat but allowed the young vixen to shove past her even though he was at least nine years older than her and a full fledged Padawan instead of a lowly apprentice.

"Hi Krystal." Fox said with a small smile.

"Good you're wearing your robes." Krystal said curtly and completely brushed off Fox's greeting. "We don't want you looking like some common street trash when the council decides what to do with you."

"Thanks again for-"

"Come on Fox but leave your Lightsabers here." Krystal said as if Fox was incapable of speech. Fox didn't mind the cold scorn he was getting from her but rather enjoyed the warmth of her actually talking to him. Fox followed Krystal obediently and without hassle.

As the vulpine was escorted towards the Jedi Council he noticed everybody stared, glared and spoke about him. He didn't hear too much of what they were saying but did catch "Sith spy", "probably will get exiled" and a few harsh names directed at him or his mother. Yet as much as the vulpine stressed to block them out he really didn't care. They could say all they wanted about him but could any of them cast lightning? Were any of them one of Master Vane's protégées? No. They were all common Jedi who would lead common Jedi lives and would die a few years out as a common Jedi.

Krystal, Fox and the lupine reached the elevator that brought them up to the Council's meeting room. The trio stepped inside and Krystal pressed the up button.

"Good luck I guess." Krystal said as the elevator climbed up towards its destination. Fox flushed and was too overcome to say anything for a while. Finally he was about to say thanks but they'd all ready arrived at their destination. Krystal, Fox and the lupine stepped into the large circular room with chairs all around it. Each chair was occupied although a few had holograms rather than actual people.

"Fox Sabbath as asked masters." The lupine said with a bow.

"Thank you Wolf." Master Rand said to the lupine. "You're dismissed."

With another bow the lupine left. Krystal remained by Fox's side however, much to his surprise.

"So, shall we begin the hearing?" A white arctic wolf with yellow eyes and a soft heavenly voice asked. Fox wanted to say hi to her but he knew the time wasn't right yet he did manage to catch her eye and when he did she winked at him. Fox tried not to smile and but he couldn't stop himself from blushing. Mistress Shivana was his favorite teacher, not because she was beautiful, but because she always made sure he or anyone else who was struggling received her extra attention.

"I guess we should Shivana." Master Rand grunted.

"Apprentice Sabbath, it has come to our attention that you nearly killed several of your peers when you exercised use of the Force Lightning Storm." A red robin said monotonously. She didn't seem very eager to be here right now and just wanted to be done with things so she could be on her way.

"Fox, you're in quite a bit of trouble." Mistress Shivana said warmly despite the direness if the situation. "Do you have anything to say?"

"No ma'am." Fox replied. If he said something in his defense he'd probably make it worse for himself by saying something stupid so unless they needed something from him he wouldn't say anything.

"Okay." Mistress Shivana said and smiled. She also knew he would have made it worse for himself by saying anything. Fox was smart but he wasn't too bright, he would stumble when nervous and messed up speaking proper Basic Trade Language.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say you shouldn't be so soft on the criminal-"

"Criminal!" Mistress Shivana exclaimed. "Fox Sabbath? I understand he used a strong Dark side power but Fox Sabbath is hardly anything of the sort! He is one of the most hard working, respectful and determined apprentices I've had the pleasure to train." Fox got a little redder in the face after that.

"That doesn't-"

"We are not here to argue over whether he is a criminal or not." Master Vane said, interrupting Master Rand. "We are here to decide my pupil's fate."

Master Rand growled in his throat and then said. "Fox Sabbath, where did you learn such an evil power? Who taught you?"

"No one taught me Master." Fox said and in the corner of his eye saw Krystal's puzzled expression.

"That's preposterous! No apprentice can do such a dastardly feat all on his own without the proper training from a cold blooded Sith." Master Rand snapped.

"Ah but wasn't he the one who made an actual working Lightsaber without guidance of any kind?" A hologram coyote asked.

"Yes he is." Mistress Shivana answered.

"That isn't important!" Master Rand snapped. "A Lightsaber is one thing but an advanced Dark side Force power is another. And besides he's most definitely lying!"

"Really? I couldn't tell he was." A lime green iguana hissed. "If he had lied I would have felt some sort of disturbance within him."

"Can we get back to the matter at hand here? My time is too precious to sit here squabbling over the smallest issues." Master Vane said as his left hand's fingers strummed on his knee. Not wanting to pick a fight with Vane, Master Rand was silent. "Very good, what is to be done with him? I know some of you have moved to have him cast out… so what say you all?"

Fox's heart began to pound harder and harder in his chest as the Masters and Mistresses whispered to their neighbors. What would become of him? Would he really be cast out and the Force stripped from him? Had he worked so hard for so many long hours just to get the bum's rush? Fox looked to Krystal but she was pensive and wouldn't stray from her thoughts to comfort Fox.

"Those who vote to have this… _student _exiled then raise you hand." Master Rand said as he lifted his own hand. Fox's heart skipped a beat as seemingly half of the room lifted their hands. There were so many people and a seeming majority of them had their hands raised. Fox did notice that Mistress Shivana did not have her hand raised and he gave her a small smile that only she caught. She winked at him and Fox blushed even redder.

"And those of you who don't, raise your hands now." Master Rand said as he and his band of voters lowered their hands. Fox's eyes darted from person to person trying to count how many people were voting for him. He managed to count all sixty four before their hands went down.

"Then it's decided." Master Rand growled.

'What! What's decided?' Fox panicked in his head.

"Fox Sabbath, the Jedi Council of Corneria has decided that you shall no longer be trained here on Corneria." Master Rand said, a hint of disappointment in his voice but not too much since Fox was no longer going to be here.

"Oh." Fox said as the horrible realization crashed down onto him. All the little vulpine hear was he would no longer be trained, he didn't hear the on Corneria part. In his mind Fox despaired as he thought he'd be cast out and no longer be trained with the Force that is until Krystal spoke up.

"What will happen of him then?"

"You, he and Master Vane will be relocated to Papetoon where you will both continue your apprenticeship until completed or you are expelled." Mistress Shivana said with a lot more disappointment in her voice than Master Rand. Her disappointment was genuine and also in her body, the arctic wolf's ears were laid back, her yellow eyes were dark and her tail which was tapping against her chair was now hanging without life.

Fox heard a small pop and for a second feared Krystal had snapped and was going to kill him but when he sneaked a look she seemed calm, almost as if she knew what was going to happen.

"Fox, Krystal," Master Vane said and immediately both foxes heads turned "go pack your things."

"Yes master." Krystal said as she bowed. Before Fox could say anything Krystal grabbed his arm and dragged Fox out with a death grip.

'Oh crap, she's pissed.' Fox said as he and Krystal entered the elevator. Krystal pressed the button and right as the door closed Fox flinched and fell into the corner of the elevator. The pressure, the tension and the wait of his soon to come beating was maddening. He trembled feverously as he waited for Krystal's beating which would be greater than all the rest combined. Strangely it didn't come and Fox took a peek when he heard the vixen humming to herself.

"Um… Krystal?" Fox asked.

"What?" Krystal asked with no emotion.

"Aren't you gonna… well… beat me?" Fox asked and Krystal shook her head in response. "Really!" Fox exclaimed and once more she nodded her head. "Not even dislocate my limbs, jab my pressure points, punch me in the jejuna or anything?"

"Nope." Krystal said calmly.

"Why not?" Fox asked disappointedly.

"Well for one Master Vane has ordered me to stop hurting you unless absolutely needed or sparring, second is you wouldn't learn from it and third is because I absolutely hate it here and you kind of did me a favor." Krystal explained and reached out her hand to help Fox up.

Fox gawked at the hand and wasn't sure if really was a hand but instead a deadly trap. For a second the little vulpine didn't want to take it but then he looked into Krystal's eyes. For the first time in a long time they weren't angry, they weren't threatening or even dark but they were bright and almost happy. Krystal hardly ever seemed happy unless she was showing off in the sparring fields. Un-begrudgingly Fox accepted her help up gratefully.

"Thanks Krystal." Fox said and before Krystal could say or do anything the vulpine wrapped his warm arms around her. The vixen's first initial reaction was to hurt him until he stopped embracing her but the strange happiness she felt the first time they embraced overpowered her zeal. Fox's hands clasped firmly yet gently on her back and she could hear his heartbeat since her head was pressed against his chest. Krystal looked up to see if Fox was watching her but she couldn't see his face from her angle so she assumed it was safe to smile. She didn't return the hug but she did enjoy it deeply.

Fox finally pulled away just before the elevator door went ding and opened up to the group of ten or so apprentices. Fox and Krystal walked past them and the group filed into the elevator behind them.

"Fox?" Krystal asked.

"Yes Krystal?" Fox asked as he burned bright red in his cheeks like when Mistress Shivana said all those kind things about him.

"What was that hug for?" The vixen asked quietly so the people around them wouldn't hear. Cerinians couldn't show weakness and she considered hugging a weakness since it made her feel so strangely and all the time in the hug she was vulnerable to an attack from anywhere including the hugger.

"Lot's of things." Fox replied quickly and quietly.

"Like?"

"Well my hands, the luck you wished me and for not helping me up." Fox said as he and Krystal strolled to the apprentice quarters.

"Just for that?" Krystal exclaimed.

"Well yeah, I mean there really is no wrong reason for a hug." Fox said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Why do you do it though? Why do Cornerian's embrace each other like that?" Krystal asked.

"Well it's not just Cornerians, I'm sure everyone everywhere hugs now and then. It's a sign of affection, thanks, and happiness." Fox explained while keeping his eyes off of Krystal lest he burst into flames. He felt so embarrassed having this conversation with his arch rival; he didn't even remember why he wanted to embrace her in the first place. Why did he have to go and make things awkward like that?

The two foxes were silent even while they packed back in their rooms. Fox looked over at her side of the room several times but always reverted his gaze the second he glanced Krystal. Fox didn't know it but that was exactly what Krystal was doing.

As hard as she fought, as much as she tried she could not deny Fox was in some aspects cute and a little adorable. The parts that were adorable were the yelps he made when surprised, the way he slept with one hand on the wall and one leg off the bed, the way he tried so hard to get better and the burning desire to prove himself. The parts that were cute though were mainly his looks and nothing more. All this created tension and conflict within herself, she was not here to meet boys, she was here to be trained by one of the best Jedi alive and to bring the Cerinians and the Jedi together.

Finally when the tension was too much Krystal broke the silence. "Are you all packed yet?" Krystal asked and looked over to Fox who was trying to fold his clothes but wound up having to just ball them up and force them into the suitcase that was on his bed when he arrived.

"Almost." Fox said and then asked. "Are you done?"

"Just about." Krystal said as she placed the last few things in her footlocker into her one suitcase. She didn't have too many things, just some clothes, spare parts for her Lightsaber just in case and priceless sentimental things from home including her staff which was no longer powered by a crystal.

"I'm sorry." Fox said suddenly.

"Fox it's all right, I'm glad we're leaving this place-"

"No that's not what I mean." Fox said as his ears drooped. "I'm sorry for giving up; I broke my promise to you. I said I'd never give up and master everything you had to teach me."

Krystal bit her lips. "I was just trying to motivate you when I came down so hard on you like that-"

"You were right to do that though, you only try to help me and yet I make it hard on you." Fox grunted.

The more he talked the worse Krystal felt. Yes he was difficult at times but so was she only she was far worse. Secretly she wished she didn't say such hard things to Fox when he was so lost but she couldn't apologize now since it worked out, plus her pride as a Cerinian was at stake.

"Well… you do try your best, and look! You've started using the Force!" Krystal said and pointed at the burns on the wall.

Fox looked dismally at the wall. "I almost killed them Krystal. If Master Vane wasn't there they'd all be dead." Fox said sadly and clenched his bed's metal bed frame as tightly as his hands could.

"Fox-"

"I've already killed someone Krystal… I don't want to kill anymore." Fox said as he remembered the Sith he struck down trying to defend himself and Fara.

Krystal could feel his emotions begin to overtake him but this time she wouldn't sit idly by and let him become prey to the darkness in his mind. Krystal stopped packing and padded over to the distressed vulpine. Fox didn't see her coming so the soft warm embrace was a surprise to him.

"Krystal what are you doing?" Fox asked Krystal as he pried her hands off his stomach.

"Hugging you?" Krystal asked and was a bit put off from his lack of desire to embrace. She wanted to embrace; she wanted to feel that safe comfort she experienced when he enveloped her in his arms. She hated to admit it but she loved the close contact with another.

Fox smiled. "Try it like this." Fox said opening his arms. Krystal stared at him and waited but he didn't advance, instead he stood there with his arms wide open as if he was waiting for something.

"Is there something I do?" Krystal asked.

Fox smiled and a laughed a little. "Come here you." He said and draped Krystal in his arms. He squeezed her but softly and heard her moan peacefully in response and this time the hug was returned. The vixen stretched her arms around Fox and gently squeezed as well. It felt good being so close to a person for a change. Since they both arrived at the Jedi Temple they hadn't shared any closeness with anyone.

"This is… okay." Krystal said holding in her true feelings, feelings she'd never experienced with anyone other then her parents. She'd never loved anything aside from them.

Fox closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his twitching black nose. Krystal smelt so sweet, her hair was so soft and he felt a sense of wholeness he hadn't felt since he left Charlie in the astringent cold.

"I don't know why but I feel safe in his arms." Krystal said seemingly aloud but her muzzle had not opened for her to have said anything. Fox's ears perked up and he listened eagerly for her to continue. "… I… can't remember anything this right. Sure he's a complete idiot and he lacks many things but he's so… so… so him." Krystal said as her embrace got tighter.

Fox smiled. 'Well at least I know I'm liked for who I am.'

Krystal's eyes almost fell out of their sockets, fear gripped her young heart and she felt the frozen chills and the scalding hot frights of embarrassment. Fox had heard what she said in her head and that meant her powers had slipped and she melded her mind with Fox's however briefly. If her powers slipped out of her control that was weakness and weakness was not tolerable.

Quickly Krystal broke away from Fox who was a little hurt from her sudden onset of recreating distance between them. Before Fox said anything he thought better of it and decided to finish packing. If Krystal wanted to be like that and not open up then he wouldn't let himself feel hurt because of it.

* * *

_**Author's Notes~~~~ Hey guys, hope you enjoyed and all. One little thing I want to say is that Basic Trade Language is what they speak in Star Wars and I didn't want to say English or Cornerian because… well it's just not Star Wars and Cornerian sounds like it's specifically used on Corneria. Oh yeah, I didn't mean to call Fox Fox McCloud in this story and it has been fixed so thanks again! Well anyways one more thing before I sign off, Survival on a Frozen Hell's sequel has been set into motion. Oh and exchange six is almost done, I'll post it by Wednesday I promise… lol.**_


	9. The Dark Lord

"_We're leaving tomorrow, but before we do I have to ask Master Vane if I can see Uncle Charlie, I have to see him before I leave no matter how he's going to react when he sees me again. Oh crap here she comes."_

Fox pressed stop and shoved the audio recorder into his suitcase right as Krystal walked out of the bathroom but in his rush the vulpine slammed his fingers in the suitcase and let out a pain filled yelp.

"What are you doing Fox?" Krystal asked when she saw him trying to get his fingers out of the suitcase.

"Nothing!" Fox groaned as he tried to rip his fingers out of the suitcase but to no avail. Krystal stood by watching until after five minutes Fox still hadn't freed himself. With a heavy sigh and a roll of her eyes Krystal opened the suitcase. "Thanks." Fox said burning red with pain and embarrassment.

"You know you'd be dead without me?"

Fox nodded his head. "Yes."

"You know you're completely helpless right?"

Fox nodded his head some more. "Yes."

"I mean you can't even get your own fingers out of a suitcase!"

Fox nodded his head some more. "Yes."

Krystal gave Fox a suspicious look. "And of course you know you're going to carry my bag right?"

Fox nodded his head again. "Yes- hey wait!"

"I knew it! You weren't paying attention to me! Were you!" Krystal growled.

"Well kind of." Fox said scratching the back of his head.

"Kind of? How can you kind of listen to a person?" Krystal snapped.

"Well I was hearing your voice but not what you said. I'm sorry all right? I was just thinking." Fox grumbled and stood up.

Krystal shook her head. "Sometimes Fox; I wonder how you've made it this…" slam "far." Krystal said when Fox closed the bathroom door on her. "HEY DON'T IGNORE ME! I'M SCOLDING YOU!"

"Okay _Mom_!" Fox said from the other side.

"What are you doing in there anyway?" Krystal growled. "Wait, never mind! I don't want to know!"

"Taking a sh-"

"I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW!" Krystal said and kicked the door. "OW! OW! OW!" Krystal shouted and started jumping up and down on her uninjured leg and with each jump the lesson of 'don't kick metal in anger without any shoes' sank in.

Fox opened the door to the bathroom and almost laughed when he saw the distressed vixen. "Krystal are you okay?" Fox sniggered.

"Oh yeah Fox, everything is just full of baby Banthas and sunshine- OF COURSE I'M NOT OKAY!"

Fox sighed. "All right come here." He said and walked over to her. Without telling her and without her consent he picked her up off the ground.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Krystal shouted right next to his ear.

"Going deaf." Fox growled and set her on her bed.

Krystal growled at the vulpine. "I could have done that myself!" She growled as she started to tend to her foot with the Force. Fox watched her while she worked, she was so concentrated and focused that he temporarily felt inferior. It was a fact that Krystal was better than Fox in swordplay, Force wielding, meditation, studies and almost everything else but Fox didn't feel that way. He knew he was going to get better and within a few months he'd be at her level or higher.

Finally the vixen let her foot go but it was still painful and tender. "I need to keep it elevated for a while. It's going to hurt on the way to Papetoon though." Krystal scowled more to herself then Fox.

"Here, let me see." Fox said taking her foot in his hands.

"Hey what are you doing! You'll mess it up wor- … oh… oh wow Fox!" Krystal gasped when Fox began to massage her foot making it feel better with every rub. He had an amazing touch and it felt like her Force healing only it was better. His soft, warm, careful hands seemed to know her pains even before she did and would ease into them by rubbing around them before moving in for the numbing kill.

"Is that better?" Fox asked after a good twenty minutes of therapeutic rubbing but his question fell upon sleeping ears. The orange vulpine realized the blue vixen was out cold and he could see a small yet distinguished smile on her face. Even in her youth, in her sleep, after what had happened between them and even though she was his rival Fox thought she was beautiful as much as he tried not to. Since the day his eyes became awestruck by her appealing magnitude he could never fully convince himself otherwise. As much as they fought (and they fought _a lot_), he was glad she existed and lived with him.

Fox watched her sleeping for a whole hour as he thought about her and what she meant to him. Without her he'd most definitely have failed or given up by now, she could rile him up with a look and he loved every second they were on leveled terms and didn't fight or squabble. When Fox had enough he moved to get some sleep himself but he noticed the vixen was shivering in her sleep.

'She must come from a warm planet to shiver in her sleep like that.' Fox thought to himself as he walked over to his bed and grabbed his own blanket. Without care for his own comfort Fox draped his blanket over Krystal just because he didn't want to disturb her rest, wake her up and put her under her own blanket.

"Sleep well Krystal." Fox said walking back to his bed and then shut off the lights.

~X~X~X~X~

The night sky was shrouded in clouds but the full moon managed to occasionally find faults in the cloud curtains. A single man watched and waited for the signal in the sky. The cold autumn night didn't faze the man; he was too focused on the task and the mission at hand. All around him the city's life was visible, hover cars flying all around him in an orderly fashion, the massive skyscrapers' lights clicked on and off as people woke or went to sleep but the most conspicuous sign of life was the people. Even at one in the morning people were out and about shopping, going to work, hanging out with friends and one person within the masses of people was handing out fliers to a concert.

Finally the signal was given in the form of a fiery wreck overhead. People turned and were shocked; a traffic collision was so rare that getting hit by an asteroid while planet side was gastronomically higher. The man grunted to himself and dialed the number he was supposed to. When the call went through he saw a small cloaked and hooded man standing in front of him on his wrist com.

"The teams are ready my Lord, they await your order."

"Very good Captain, execute order sixty four."

"Yes sir." The Captain replied.

"And Captain, I only want the boy, kill the girl." The Dark Lord growled before cutting the feed.

The Captain ruffled his feathers, that wouldn't be a problem; he'd been looking forward to paying that little bitch back for taking his arm and killing Kessler. As for the boy, he wasn't given any orders for the condition of the boy. Once more the man typed in a number he was ordered to.

"All teams proceed to the destination, operation sixty four is a go." The man said before hanging up and started walking towards the Jedi Temple.

~X~X~X~X~

Krystal woke up early because of the strange smells. She knew what the scent was, it was Fox but it so close to her. Quickly Krystal leapt out of bed fearing the little cretin was in her bed but it was only Fox's blanket that she smelt. The young blue vixen looked to the orange vulpine. He didn't look cold as he laid there asleep, in fact he looked rather happy.

'Fox… I fear I'll never understand you.' Krystal thought to herself. As she made preparations to start her day Krystal stopped when she remembered she was leaving this lifeless city. There were billions of people living on Corneria but there was hardly a real flower anywhere. Growing up on Cerinia she had seen thousands of flowers all of which she adored but her favorites were the Sun Roses which were such a deep and beautiful shade of orange.

'They should be in bloom by now.' Krystal thought sadly to herself as her eyes began to wander while she sat on her bed. 'Their orange petals will unfold into such brilliant manifolds. I wish I was home. I can almost see the flowers… almost.'

Fox began to stir and his snores were slowly quieting. The young vulpine was the heaviest sleeper Krystal knew and he had a definite snore that was rather loud but so hilarious she couldn't be angry at him if he woke her up.

'He'll wake soon, and then it won't be quiet anymore.' Krystal sighed in her mind. Fox was tolerable at best, he was cocky, arrogant, headstrong, and a complete klutz but he did have his good features like... like….

'Hmm, why do I tolerate his existence?' Krystal thought to herself. She thought for a long time and came up with one simple answer. 'Because Master Vane expects me to.'

"Mm." Fox groaned which brought Krystal back from her thoughts. The vulpine slowly opened his groggy eyes and groaned again. "What time is it?"

"It's almost one thirty Fox." Krystal replied. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"

Fox sat up and shook his head. "No, the nightmares…" he mumbled but his mind trailed off.

"Nightmares? About what?" Krystal asked becoming a little curious. Fox often had nightmares but none that were bad enough he didn't want to go back to sleep.

Fox groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Nothing, I just dreamt that the Temple came under attack while we all slept."

Krystal frowned. "What else happened? Who attacked the Temple?"

Fox shook his head and got out of bed. "People in dark robes and they had red Lightsabers. It was terrible; they killed so many students before they got to our room. I woke up after that."

"And where were the Masters and the guards?" Krystal asked.

"I don't know but there was a loud siren going off. It sounded like a fire alarm or something." Fox said as he ignited his green practice Lightsaber to practice some more. He really didn't want to go back to sleep for fear of the dream starting back up again so he decided to do some Lightsaber drills.

"It was probably the lockdown alarm… Fox I'll be right back I've got to check on something." Krystal said and left Fox to his practicing before he could say anything.

"Could you bring back some breakfast- oh you're gone." Fox said to himself and started going through the drills with one Lightsaber. Once he managed to complete the drill entirely without any screw ups the young vulpine pulled out the blue Lightsaber from his suitcase.

'I wonder if what Master Vane said was true. I think it'd be really cool being a dual wielder; it'd also be pretty unique.'

Fox didn't see very many students or Jedi with more than one Lightsaber, Krystal had an especially long hilted Lightsaber but other than that it was the same as the others. Fox began to run through the drill again only this time he would add the second swing of his offhand. Within moments Fox noticed the dramatic increase in precision and ease. It was almost like he was destined or made to dual wield Lightsabers. After a while Fox began to feel tired again and when he felt he had trained enough the tired vulpine went back to bed.

'I wonder what Krystal's up to.' Fox thought as he yawned and then succumbed to exhaustion.

~X~X~X~X~

Krystal stared frightfully at the door. She wondered to herself if she dare knock on it. The only reason she was at Master Vane's quarters was because she got a very bad feeling when hearing about Fox's nightmare. Closing her eyes and gathering all her strength the vixen raised her arm to knock. Her knuckles barely touched the door as she knocked.

"Come in." Master Vane said within which made the blue vixen jump. Placing a hand on her heart Krystal opened the door and walked in quietly.

"M-Master Vane?" Krystal whispered into the darkness.

"Yes Krystal?" Vane said in his same emotionless voice.

"I'm very sorry to wake you so late Master-" Krystal was saying but Vane interrupted her.

"No, I was awake and besides if you must see me don't worry which hour it is. Now why are you here?" Master Vane asked and then the lights came on revealing a room filled to the brim with books, Holocrons, chairs stacked on each other, rocks varying in size from pebble to boulder and a bed where the Master was lying down on gazing at the ceiling through his mask.

"Well you see M-Master I uh… no Fox had a nightmare." Krystal said but was still frightened she was intruding on her Master.

"Oh? What about?" Master Vane asked.

"Well, he dreamt th-that the Temple fell under attack and many students were killed by Sith warriors." Krystal answered.

Master Vane sat up and stared at Krystal. "How interesting. It's tonight then is it?"

"I know it sounds silly Master but the way he said it… I am really worried." Krystal said as she fidgeted with her night robes.

"Well Krystal you should be." Master Vane said getting off his bed.

"Master?" Krystal asked confusedly.

"Tonight there is a plot to secretly assault the Jedi Temple, kill as many students in secrecy as possible and escape undetected with a prisoner." Master Vane said walking towards Krystal.

The vixen's muzzle was hanging. "M-Master how do you know this? Shouldn't we alert the guards or the other masters?"

"No, it is not their business; I will take care of it personally." Master Vane said as he brushed past Krystal.

"Then let's go hunt some Sith scum." Krystal growled eagerly as she reached for her Lightsaber. Before her hands grazed the hilt she began to feel very sleepy. Her blue eyes shut and she fell to the floor but her body did not make contact. She floated to Master Vane's bed and was gently laid down by the unseen Force.

"I'm sorry Krystal, not tonight. You are still young and I don't want you to die needlessly. Besides, they are expecting me and no one else." Master Vane said before turning off the lights and leaving his room.

~X~X~X~X~

Not a creature was to be seen in the Great Hall that night. The cleaning robots which were usually maintaining the Great Hall were no where to be seen when at night was when they were busiest. The massive structure columns cast deep, dark and massive shadows where whole armies could hide inside it. Finally the moon receded back behind the clouds allowing the darkness to spread and nearly envelope the entire Great Hall. Like ghosts a dozen figures ran through the shadows without a sound. Their robes didn't even rustle as they dashed towards the younglings' quarters and when the reached door they talked with their hands.

The leader gave three signals and the other eleven nodded and flattened themselves against the wall. The leader reached within his robes and pulled out a Lightsaber but did not ignite it, he just didn't want to run into a trap completely defenseless but it was the Master's plan and they never failed. Quietly the leader opened the large double door to the younglings' quarters and quietly snuck in followed by his team of highly trained Sith Assassins. As the last Sith Assassin stepped inside there came an emotionless voice from the darkness.

"Welcome gentlemen."

"AMBUSH!" The leader shouted as he activated his Lightsaber. His squadron followed their leader's lead and activated their own Lightsabers. The twelve red Lightsabers lit up the apprentices' quarters slightly but all the lights were out and their maximum sight distance was thirty feet at best.

"What do we do sir?" A tall cloaked figure asked as he held his Lightsaber out as far as possible to increase the distance the light would cast out.

"Hold together, don't let these Jedi scum get the jump on you."

"Yes Captain." The man said but began to shake. For some reason he felt like Death itself was waiting for him in the darkness and was speaking to him.

"Gentlemen, if I wanted to I could kill you all with a single stroke of my Lightsaber but your lucky the Master told me you were coming tonight." Master Vane said as he emerged from the darkness with the small sleeping body of Fox in his left arm.

"Who are you?" The Captain snapped as he readied himself for a quick and merciless killing.

"I am the insurgent the master sent in to make sure all the defense systems were deactivated and the guards were relieved of duty." Master Vane said as he stopped ten paces from the Sith assassins.

"You? But-"

"And if you wish to escape with your lives we should leave immediately before the window of opportunity I made closes." Master Vane interrupted.

"Wait we're not just gonna trust you right off the bat! How do we know you aren't some Jedi pretending to be the informant?" The Captain growled.

"You want proof?" Master Vane asked before he lifted his hand unleashing a storm of lightning onto the wall. Amazingly none of the apprentices came out of their rooms to see what happened. "Is that enough proof?"

The captain shuddered; he hadn't seen so much lightning since he watched the master punish the man he succeeded.

"All right, I believe you… so what's the plan now?" The Captain asked nervously.

"Now we leave and we fall back to the extraction point before someone discovers us." Master Vane said as he brushed past the assassins.

Without the Captain's permission the assassins followed Vane out of the Apprentices' quarters.

~X~X~X~X~

"Krystal help me!" Fox cried out as blood gushed out of his body from several cuts and open wounds. The vulpine was trying with all his might to remain conscious and sitting up but his strength faded with every drop of blood that left his body. As much as she wanted to help him Krystal could do nothing to help him, she was rooted into her spot with fear.

"Fox I… I can't." Krystal cried as she watched the closest thing to a friend she ever had slowly die before her eyes. Sure he was hot headed, sure he was reckless, sure he was rough around the edges but when he looked at her with those gorgeous green eyes he was perfect.

"Please Krystal…" Fox begged and started to cough up blood "I need you!"

Krystal's eyes bulged out like saucers when she saw the ominous black figure approaching Fox. Before she had time to call out to Fox it was too late and a Lightsaber as black as sin pierced the small vulpine's body and heart.

"FOX!" Krystal shouted reaching out for him before the darkness swept her up and out of the dream.

The blue vixen woke with a start and nearly jumped out of bed the instant her eyes opened. She felt bad, really bad, like something horrible was happening right before her eyes and she could not or would not do anything about it. Krystal quickly got out of bed and realized where she was but had no recollection of how she got into Master Vane's room.

Not wanting to get caught in his room without permission she quickly left and decided to check on Fox. When she left the room she discovered that the sun had raised and a bunch of people were out and about already which meant Fox was probably still asleep. For some reason she felt worried about him and had an annoying itch that would only be scratched once she checked on Fox. As she walked she began to move faster and faster until she was almost jogging. The people she passed in the Great Hall saw the vixen and quickly got out of her way when she came running at them full sprint. Something was driving her to get to Fox and check on him and she couldn't do anything to resist. Finally she came to her and Fox's room and caught her breath before opening the door.

"Good morning Fo-" Krystal said but stopped midsentence when she realized Fox wasn't in the room. 'Maybe he's in the bathroom.' Krystal thought and bolted to the bathroom. Without knocking she barged into the bathroom door but he wasn't even in there. Krystal began to panic; she started breathed shallowly and quickly.

"Fox, where are you?" Krystal whined to herself like an abandoned kit.

~X~X~X~X~

"So why did we risk so much to capture the little prick?" One of the assassins asked, he still had his hood on and under that he had a mask to cover the scarring he got on the wrong side of a backfiring fusion cutter.

"I don't know but he must be important for the Master to come pick him up personally." Another assassin replied, he had his hood off but had his mask on and would keep it on until the mission was over so he could protect his identity.

"So how did you manage to get us in without any security problems?" The Captain asked Vane who was sitting away from the group of assassins. Master Vane and the assassins were hitching a ride in a shuttle that was taking them to the farthest side of Corneria from the Jedi Temple and the inside of the shuttle was like a smuggler ship.

"It was easier than you'd think; I reprogrammed the cleaning robots, Force persuaded the guards to patrol away from the Great Hall and then I deactivated the security cameras to the younglings' quarters." Master Vane responded.

"So are you like one of the Master's special agents or something?" The Captain asked and itched his face with his metallic hand right beside his beak. He wished he could have caught that little blue bitch who took his hand but there was always next time.

"You could say that." Master Vane said and folded his arms. "Did you say that the Master would be meeting us here on Corneria?"

"Yes he told me so just before we infiltrated the Jedi Temp-" The Captain was saying but stopped mid sentence when his throat began to constrict like someone was choking him. He reached to pry the hands away from his neck but there weren't any there. His eyes darted towards his team; they were all in the same predicament.

"I'm sorry gentlemen but I can't have anything in my way when I reminisce with my old student." Master Vane said before he crushed the Captain and his crew's necks with a loud combined crunching sound. Their bodies dropped and crumpled onto the floor. The smiling mask eyed their bodies and then looked away. From there Vane got onto the floor, sat down and began to meditate. If his old student was going to be there than he'd have to be ready.

~X~X~X~X~

"Fox, Fox, Fox." Krystal whined to herself as she hugged her legs. She never felt this way before; she was feeling lost and beyond help. She wished she could just wake up from this nightmare and find Fox sleeping in his bed across from hers. Why she was feeling this way was beside her, she didn't like him all that much to lose her head if she couldn't find him. It was almost as if she was being made to feel this way or she was feeling what someone else was feeling.

"What am I going to do?" Krystal asked herself. "I can't find Master Vane and I can't find Fox! Who else is there that I can trust?" Krystal said right as she came to the answer. "Mistress Shivana!"

Immediately Krystal jumped off of Fox's bed and ran to the door. She didn't wait for it to open all the way and squeezed out before running full sprint to where Mistress Shivana most likely was. Krystal was like a sapphire blur she moved so fast. Some people didn't even see her but they felt the wind she kicked up running. She didn't stop running until she burst into Mistress Shivana's classroom and threw everyone off balance except for the white arctic wolf who was standing on one hand.

"Krystal? What is the meaning of this?" The wolf asked as she held her stance.

"Mistress… Shivana!" Krystal panted.

Mistress Shivana sensed the distress in her and in her voice so she got down from her hand stand and said "Class carry on, I'll be back soon. Krystal, come with me."

"Yes Mistress I'm sorry for barging in like this but it is a real emergency." Krystal said with a respectful bow.

"I understand Krystal." Mistress Shivana said as she walked out the door with Krystal at her side. They didn't say anything until Mistress Shivana had taken her to her quarters and closed the door behind her. "So Krystal what seems to be the problem?"

Krystal didn't respond for a moment; she was so drawn in by Mistress Shivana's room. It smelt so sweet and heavenly, the carpet between her toes felt so soft and plush, the fountain in the corner of the room made the perfect white noise and the room was finely decorated with comfortable chairs, a wooden desk, a soft warm looking bed and a rock bed with rocks ranging from pebbles to dresser sized boulders.

"Oh, um… Mistress Shivana I can't find Fox and last night when I went to go see Master Vane I fell asleep, the next morning he was gone and so was Fox." Krystal said as Mistress Shivana moved to her desk and picked up a kettle on it. She placed the kettle on a heater on the desk and almost instantly it started to whistle so she took it off and poured Krystal and herself a cup of tea.

"Well perhaps they are off on a training exercise; I remember you and Master Vane went off on several of those without warning." Shivana said as she handed the cup to Krystal which she drank graciously.

"Thank you Mistress. I don't think that is the case though. We're leaving today and before I went to see Master Vane Fox woke up saying he had a nightmare that people in dark robes attacked the Temple while everyone slept which is why I went to go see Master Vane, I thought that fox might have had a vision." Krystal reported.

"Interesting." Mistress Shivana said and took a sip of her tea. "I wasn't informed the Temple came under attack last night though. The last time a Sith even set foot in this temple was when Darth Necrosis was sentenced almost two hundred years ago."

"Oh." Krystal said and her ears and tail drooped. "I'm really sorry for wasting your time then Mistress."

"No Krystal, if you feel so strongly about it I'll see if I can't get a hold of Master Vane." Mistress Shivana said. The arctic wolf put her cup down on the desk by the bed and started dialing on her wrist com.

"You'd do that for me?" Krystal asked completely astonished that Mistress would take this much time out of her day for her, a lowly worrisome apprentice.

"Of course Krystal," Mistress Shivana said as the call went through "I'm curious as to what my old friend is up to if he… that's odd he always picks up when I call."

"Is something wrong Mistress?" Krystal asked. Krystal didn't know very much about phones or wrist coms so she didn't realize that Master Vane sent her to voicemail.

"Maybe… Krystal what did Master Vane say to you before you fell asleep?"

"He said there is a plot to secretly assault the Jedi Temple, kill as many students in secrecy as possible and escape undetected with a prisoner." Krystal reported.

Mistress Shivana blinked rapid fast. "That was tonight! I thought it was tomorrow! That little Sith rat!" She shouted.

Krystal stepped back. "W-What do you mean Mistress."

"Vane you fool!" Mistress Shivana growled and ran to her desk. She rummaged through a few drawers before she pulled out a small hold out blaster. "Krystal you stay here at the temple, find Master Rand and tell him to alert every Jedi master and tell him Master Vane's old student is here on Corneria, he'll know what it means."

"But Mistress I want to go to! I'm worried about F- Master Vane!" Krystal whined.

"No Krystal, if you go you'll most certainly be killed. I know you are the best of all the younglings but what I and Master Vane are about to do requires a lot more than you have right now." Mistress Shivana said and ran out the door.

Krystal fought to keep from tearing after her but Mistress Shivana left her with a most important task. "Please Mistress; bring them both back alive and safe."

~X~X~X~X~

The shuttle began to slow and then coaxed to a stop. The trip had taken several hours but that was to make sure that the shuttle wasn't being followed and to keep off the local law enforcement radar. Once the shuttle stopped it began to drift into a large storage facility wherein the doors closed sealing off the natural light. Two men in dark uniforms stood just off of the landing pad in the large barely lit room, both were carrying very heavy Automatic Repeating Laser Rifles but their weight was made up for their exceptional lethality.

The two men waited patiently for the Assassin team to come out with the prisoner but it wasn't long until they got impatient and walked up the loading ramp into the ship. The second they were on the ship and out of sight there came two thuds from within and Master Vane walked out of the ship.

The masked man breathed in, he felt like the air was poisonous and he resisted the urge to cough.

"I know you're out there, I feel your anger and I can feel the evil within you." Master Vane called out to the darkness all around him. Then out of the darkness came a heart gripping laugh.

"Masterfully done Vane. Not very many can kill even one of my best men." A cackling voice said with the same power to strike fear into the hearts of men women and children as Death itself. "You seem to grow even more powerful every time our paths converge. Fortunately this will be the last time that happens."

"Where is he?" Master Vane asked as a lone figure emerged from the darkness.

"_He_ is not here; I haven't seen nor heard from _him_ in some time. He really was a gifted young man but _you_ led him astray and _he_ alone paid the consequences… what a pity." The figure snapped. "Why? Did you wish to reminisce with your _star_ pupil?"

"By star you do mean the only one of you who ever showed any potential? Then yes." Vane retorted, still even now showing no emotion.

"Potential! I have amassed an empire! I have built my armies! I have turned your brothers against you! And I control the Force-"

"Only half of it, you still have much to learn. Did nothing I teach you sink in to that thick head of yours?" Master Vane asked. "It takes both to reach your goals but you are too corrupted to walk on the path of Light for whatever reason. Without both sides you'll be a weak little traitor."

"I'LL SHOW YOU WEAK!" The man shouted before he flew to Master Vane with his red Lightsaber lit. Master Vane didn't move from his spot, he awaited the attack expectantly and just before the figure was about to cleave him in two, a blue and the red Lightsabers collided bringing the figure to an immediate halt.

"Is that all you got Andross?" Master Vane asked.

"Oh I haven't even started!" Andross cackled.

The Lightsabers groaned together as Master Vane was pushed back. Within an instant he was on the defensive, Andross hacked and slashed with relentless fury and eloquent grace. Their Lightsabers were like red and blue blurs in the surrounding darkness and collided over and over. When the flurries ended the two men stared each other down.

"Enough of this _master_." Andross growled. "Give me the boy and I'll let you live."

Master Vane breathed in and deactivated his Lightsaber. "You can have him," Vane said putting his Lightsaber away "if you can take him."

Before Andross could respond a vast storm of lightning shot at him. The Dark Lord barely had enough time to put his Lightsaber up to block the deadly storm. The lightning coming from Vane's hands was seemingly limitless; he held Andross back for a good five minutes before the Dark Lord was able to retaliate. Acting fast Andross jumped back, switched his Lightsaber off and held up his hands to absorb the lightning.

"Very good Andross." Vane said when the lightning started to disappear into the ape's hands so he ended it. "Maybe you did learn a few things from me."

"Are you done? Because now it's my turn." Andross said as large rectangular objects began darting towards Vane. The masked man didn't even move from his spot, he held his ground and with six cuts and four slices the objects no longer posed a threat.

"How about this than?" Andross growled as three Lightsabers ignited behind him and hovered towards Vane.

"Just three?" Master Vane asked as he stepped forward with his Lightsaber in hand. "I would have expected at least five by now."

"JUST DIE!" Andross shouted but Master Vane had gotten under his skin and his concentration was shot. Master Vane quickly disposed of the three Lightsabers by cutting their lenses off when their blades were an inch from his neck.

"Now it's my turn again." Master Vane said as he sat down on the ground.

"What are you-" Andross said but stopped when he saw the ten Lightsabers float out of Vane's robes. Three red, three green, three blue and one silver Lightsaber ignited simultaneously.

"This fight is over, surrender." Vane mumbled.

"Never!" Andross growled.

"It's either that or death." Master Vane said as the Lightsabers closed in.

The ape stepped back. He was no match for this technique even with all his prior training. Vane was far more powerful than him but he wasn't nearly as sinister or conniving as him.

"Execute order sixty six." Andross chuckled and behind him nine more red Lightsabers ignited behind him. Their lights revealed several people ready to fight and die for their master. "I'm surprised you didn't feel them earlier. Are you losing your touch?"

"Maybe I am, for a moment there I thought you had brought along with you a bunch of Gizkas." Master Vane retorted.

"We'll show you who's a gizka!" One of the Sith warriors growled from behind Andross. "We're ready Master."

"Then show this Jedi what true power is." Andross said resulting in the nine Sith warriors charging the Lightsaber line.

Beads of sweat crawled down Master Vane's neck as he held each and every one of them off. It was taking his most absolute concentration to hold them all back but as the minutes rolled on they themselves were beginning to tire and it only took one mistake for them to get cut down. The first to fall made the mistake to leave his left flank open and one of the Lightsabers dueling another Sith immediately darted to him and cut the feline in half. She screamed for a moment but she died fairly quickly. Another man stumbled on her body and his chest was pierced by a red and blue blade.

All but one Lightsaber was dueling the Sith warriors and that was the silver one which was waiting patiently for the Sith Lord.

~X~X~X~X~

The young vulpine's body stirred and his eyes began to flicker open. He felt strange, cold and wet. For a moment he thought he wet himself in the night and he would have died of embarrassment but it thankfully turned out to just be sweat. Once Fox confirmed it was sweat he looked around and began to panic again. He had no idea where he was or how he even got to be in this strange metallic room.

Fox got up off of the couch and began to walk through the room, there was a table with a couch around it, some chairs and holo-projector to watch T.V. on. Not knowing if he was in space or not Fox began to look for the bridge. He opened a door on the left side of the room and found the lavatories. From there he moved to the door on the right of the room but it was locked and no matter how hard he tried it wouldn't open. So he tried the door next to the couch.

"All right some progress." Fox said nervously when he found a dark room with two chairs he guessed were pilot's chairs. The windows were covered by their protective metal shields so he couldn't see outside. "Where in the Hell am I?"

Fox sat down in the pilot's chair on the left and started fiddling with the control pad on the chair. He started pulling up files but none of them gave him any clues. As he was about to give up he found the ship's galactic map.

"I'm still on Corneria?" Fox blurted out when he asked for his present location. Figuring it was safe Fox decided it was all right for him to leave the ship and have a look around.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys, hope you enjoyed! Guess what? I finally made some more pictures! This one is of Fox as a Dark Jedi… only problem is I can't post it on because apparently there is pornography on and the library computers hate that. So I had to make a account, the link is on my profile page. I am not saying Fox will become a Sith I just thought it would be cool to draw him in a Sith outfit. It's in pencil though but his Lightsabers I did color red. The reason I don't color him is because it would look like a five year old colored with his feet. And speaking of feet he doesn't have them because I can't draw feet, I try but until I don't fail like Panther (hate him still) I won't draw them. Anyways I hope you enjoyed (I really do ;) and we'll see what happens next chapter! **_

_**(P.S. Anyone catch both of today's 64 references?)**_


	10. Conflict

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Mistress Shivana growled clutching both her blaster and her Lightsaber very tightly.

"Sorry Mistress but we'll put people's lives in danger!" The driver said as he drove the car downwards to avoid another flying car.

"Fine but every second counts Marshal!" Shivana said and resisted the urge to take control of the car herself. If they didn't get there in time there is no telling what they might find. Vane was powerful yes but Andross was has one of the most evil and sadistic minds in the galaxy, knowing him he'd have more than one trick up his sleeve. Even if things were looking good for Vane, they could change in a heartbeat.

'I'm coming Vane, just hold on my love.' Shivana thought as she clutched her weapons harder.

~X~X~X~X~

The last of the nine Sith fell as all nine of the floating combating Lightsabers pierced his body. He let out a weak whine before the light in his eyes glazed over.

"Lord Andross." He whined and collapsed on top of the lower half of his fallen comrade who had perished moments before him.

"Your turn Andross." Vane said and wiped the sweat forming under his muzzle.

"And take advantage of you in this state? You must be exhausted from all that concentration and slaughter." Andross laughed, not a bit fazed from the fact his followers were cut down before his eyes. He had no feelings for them, no care for their fate and if they died, well, they were replaceable. If he had to he'd gladly sacrifice any and all of his followers to achieve his ultimate goal. The Dark Lord moved towards the shuttle but the silver Lightsaber blocked his path.

"I'm not done yet, not even close." Master Vane said as he breathed a little lighter. He had to protect Fox, he was his responsibility and it was his fault for the little vulpine even being here.

"Very well then." Andross said and ignited his Lightsaber. "I'll destroy your little toy and then I'll destroy you."

Before Andross could make a move however, the silver Lightsaber made the first strike and went for the Dark Lord's head. Andross easily blocked it and quickly changed the terms on the flying saber. Andross had used his follower's battle to calm himself down, gather his wits and harness his anger. The silver Lightsaber came within inches of being cleaved in two multiple times because of Master Vane's fatigue. After a few minutes Andross began to grow impatient.

"Enough of these games Vane." He said and jumped back, out of the saber's reach. "Give me the boy or I'll-"

A hissing sound interrupted the Dark Lord and a small form stepped out from the shuttle's ramp. The boy felt confused and a bit frightened but yet he stepped out of the shuttle with hopes to find answers to the multiple questions reverberating in his head.

"Ah, there he is." Andross hissed.

"Fox get back on the ship!" Master Vane exclaimed, showing emotion for the first time the whole fight.

"M-Master? What's going on?" Fox stuttered when he saw the grisly sight. Bodies were everywhere, several Lightsabers were floating without someone holding them and a dark and sinister figure with a Lightsaber almost as red as Fox's dads.

"Fox just get back on the-"

"MASTER!" Fox shouted and went for his Lightsaber as the dark figure made his move. In a swift and blurring move Andross destroyed the silver Lightsaber and charged the sitting Jedi. Before Fox could touch the hilt of his saber Master Vane was the Dark Lord's hostage.

"Don't move boy or I'll kill your master!" Andross snapped as he held his humming blade close to Vane's neck. Fox froze instantly and almost stopped breathing. He didn't know Master Vane for very long or very well for that matter but he respected him very deeply and did not want to see him killed.

"Now Vane, deactivate the other ones and let them fall." Andross growled smugly.

The yellow mask stared at the ape and a small chuckle came from behind it. "Why? I could kill you just before you kill me."

"If you do you'll kill not just me, but the boy, yourself, and anyone within a two block's radius along with me." Andross growled. "If I die the bombs in this room will detonate."

"But if I don't kill you you'll kill me and then you'll twist the boy with your simple minded evil then the whole Lylat will perish." Vane retorted.

The Dark Lord began to chuckle. "You know _master;_ I don't think you'd be willing to sacrifice the boy to kill me. Your own life you'd sacrifice it in a heartbeat just to kill me but his life?" Andross said and shook his head. "You would never let him come into Death's hands."

Fox's muzzle was hanging; did that man just call Vane master? Why was he here and why was Master Vane fighting him if they were once master and apprentice? The young vulpine waited and watched fearfully what was going to happen next. Was Master Vane going to kill the man and forfeit their lives? Fox didn't want to die but he didn't want to become a Sith either, he'd rather be a Jedi. In the end Master Vane caved in, the Lightsabers switched off and fell to the ground each making a metallic clunk. Fox almost breathed a sigh of relief but this predicament was far from over. Everything around him seemed to melt away, the bodies held no value or fear for him and all that mattered was Vane and his life.

"Now then, Fox." Andross said before clearing his throat and then smashed the butt of his Lightsaber hilt into the back of Vane's head knocking him unconscious instantly. Andross made absolute sure he was down by feeling his mind before continuing. "I have given you ample time to experience the Jedi. Will you come with me willingly or will I have to force you?"

Fox blinked rapidly. "That voice." Fox muttered. "You're the one that spoke to me before I left my uncle's house!" Fox growled.

"Yes I was the one."

"Then you'll already know my answer!" Fox snapped.

"Are you sure? Because with one flick of the wrist your Master dies and I will take you by force." Andross growled.

"Go ahead and try!" Fox growled and pulled out his green practice Lightsaber. Even if the Lightsaber was on a lethal setting there was no way he would be able to win but Fox wouldn't go down the dark path without a fight.

The Dark Lord laughed sinisterly. "Put your blade away _boy._ You are no match for me!"

"That so?" Fox asked as a small, confident smile spread across his face as he slowly walked towards Andross and Master Vane.

"One more step and your Master dies." Andross growled when Fox was only fifteen feet away.

"You kill him and I kill you." Fox growled back, the tone of his voice absolute. If he had to, Fox would kill Andross, he was ready to kill and he had done it before without any negative repercussions to him or his psyche.

"With your little practice Lightsaber? That thing couldn't cut butter let alone my head off." Andross cackled. Fox growled and his little muzzle curled up showing all his white, sharp, pointy teeth.

"Just watch, I'll push you so far I'll send you into next week!" Fox snapped and lifted his hand with another Force power on his mind.

Before he could put his plan into motion Andross lifted his own free hand and Fox was sent spiraling in air back to the ship. The little vulpine slammed hard into the floor and let out a yelp of pain. He rolled but gradually came to a stop two feet from the ship and his Lightsaber had escaped his grasp in the turmoil.

"What an arrogant, brash child." Andross chided with a small satisfied grin on his face and looked down to Master Vane. "Just like his father."

Fox growled as he struggled to get up, his body ached and his head was excruciating but he didn't care, that man said something about his father whom Fox knew nothing about. Fox's hands moved to hoist himself up but they grazed something. Before it could roll away into the darkness the vulpine snatched it up and found it was the Lightsaber with Master Vane's crystal in it. This made Fox wonder why he wasn't disarmed before he was taken here. He knew he was taken here secretly because he had no memory of being on the move or getting here. As for the other Lightsaber, that was lost somewhere in the darkness and if he went looking for it he'd leave himself exposed to that evil man.

"Is that all? I know an apprentice with more push then that!" Fox snapped as he wiped a small trickle of blood that had been leaking from his nose down to his muzzle and neck.

A fierce scowl replaced the smug smile on the ape's face.

"You impudent little wretch! You're first lesson will be one in respect!" Andross spat as Fox limped forward, his blue Lightsaber humming in his right hand.

"Oh really?" Fox growled as he stepped within ten feet of Andross and Vane. "Well I've got a lesson for _you_. I'm full of surprises!" Fox shouted and lifted his hand more quickly this time. Before Andross' hand could rise up past Fox's waist a storm of lightning shot from Fox's palm. The Dark Lord barely had enough time to shield himself with his Lightsaber.

A few seconds after Fox unleashed his power he had to stop, his left hand was being very badly burned and if he wasn't careful he might lose it. As Fox lowered his hand down Andross made an immediate counter attack that Fox had no chance to see coming. The ape's knee collided with Fox's muzzle, then as Fox's body began to fly back from the impact his body immediately stopped and was hauled back into Andross' fist.

"You know I am really tired of you and your attitude." Andross scowled as Fox coughed up blood and fell to the ground. The little vulpine was on the ground and before he could think Andross' boot stomped right onto his chest. The vulpine tried to move the boot off his chest but he wasn't strong enough. Andross was slowly crushing the life out of him and enjoyed the torment the little pup was going through. Nobody treats him with such disrespect and goes unpunished, Fox was lucky he was as gifted with such a high level of Force sensitivity or he would have been killed because he'd be a useful tool once his training was complete.

Just as Fox was about to pass out from lack of air Andross removed his foot but the beating was far from over. The ape picked Fox up by his tail and when Fox was off the ground Andross sent him flying across the room with a powerful toss. Unlike the last time Fox hit the ground, he hit a piece of the debris from Master Vane's and Andross' fight.

Fox's vision flickered black and white like static on a television screen as his head swam with pain and desperation. He was on the border of falling unconscious and he tasted blood as it dripped out of his muzzle. The young vulpine groaned and tried to roll off of the severed half of the metal crate but his body refused to move. Despite everything though, his blue practice Lightsaber was somehow still in his hands. Fox didn't even know how he held onto it for this long after the beating he received, not that it mattered though, it wasn't going to help him much if it couldn't kill.

"Do you see the price of your insolence? I am the Dark Lord of the Sith Andross. This is just a taste of the pain I can and will bring to you if you so much as raise your voice to me again!" Andross panted as he strode to the broken fox. "Now my young apprentice, will you join me willingly or must I bring your life into a Hell worse than any demon can imagine?"

"What… what do you know about my father?" Fox said after spitting blood out of his mouth onto the floor.

"I know so much about your father yet nothing at all. Why? Are you finally curious about him and what a bastard he was?" Andross cackled.

"I already know he was a bastard," Fox growled and grinned "but at least he isn't a pussy like you. Go fuck yourself! I'll never join you or the rest of you Sith Firefeken hermaphrodites!"

The little vulpine had just dropped a bomb and it landed on the Dark Lord. How could this boy who was only ten years old, barely able to use the Force just yet, lying beaten and bloodied be so stupid and impudent to call him that. The things Andross had done would turn all of Fox's fur white if he even heard about them. Yet this boy was so defiant, so full of pride and arrogance he would throw his own life away just to have a final laugh.

"Well," Andross said as he shook with rage "before you die there is something I will ask of you, a favor if you will."

"What?" Fox growled as his hand clenched harder on his Lightsaber, this would be his final fight, his final stand, he'd go down swinging.

"Tell your bitch of a mother that I'm sending your father to her after I kill you. She will be so happy, it's a same I didn't get to see her smile before I killed her. She only screamed and cried."

The red blade fell slowly towards Fox. The vulpine's heart was pounding, his eyes were dilated, his blood boiled and he pulsed with anger, hatred and pain. He loved his mother, he loved her so dearly and what Andross had called her was unforgivable. The voice in his head began to stir once more, telling him what to do and he was all ears. Fox ignited his own Lightsaber and swung to deflect Andross' attack but he swung just a second too late. Blood sprayed onto Fox's face. The Dark Lord's Lightsaber deactivated as the severed hand released it from its dead grip. There was a shriek unlike any other; it was the shriek that the damned in Hell make when they realize where they are. That shriek chilled Fox to the core and was permanently etched into his mind.

"You…" Andross raged and breathed jaggedly "You!" Andross said before Fox's body exploded with pain. A current of red lightning burned Fox's body, some parts of his fur was smoldering and his scream was barely audible over the lightning.

When the lightning ended abruptly Fox thought he was dead but was disappointed to look up and see the Dark Lord standing over him with his left hand raised and his right hand missing. Fox let out a little moan before the lightning returned. Andross was toying with him now, he was far past the point of blind rage and everything didn't seem to matter anymore. Fox didn't matter, the vulpine's unlimited potential didn't matter, his own hand didn't matter and weeks of planning went up in flames. The current ended again and this time Andross found his words.

"You're going to die now Fox. I don't care anymore, you will die and no one, not Vane nor any other Jedi will save you." Andross said before plunging Fox into an inescapable world of torture.

Minutes crawled on as hours and Fox was driven to the lengths of insanity. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt, he couldn't think, he lost control of his entire body and the cold sweet embrace of Death slipped away just before it could take him. He wanted to die, he wanted it all to end but he was powerless to do anything let alone kill himself. Andross smiled and admired his handy work. The little vulpine was so prideful and arrogant a mere moment ago but now he was broken, beat and scarred.

"I grow tired of your screams little youngling." Andross said and willed his Lightsaber to his hand. It shot out of the dead hand lying on the floor and ignited the second it touched its master's live hand. "Good bye-"

A loud bang echoed throughout the dark room and light from the sun finally shone in from a large hole in the west wall. From the hole came a sea of blue, green and yellow lights as all the Jedi Masters on Corneria flocked into the room.

"No!" Andross cursed and attempted to end the vulpine before making his mistake but his red Lightsaber met a blue one mid flight.

"I don't think so Andy." Mistress Shivana growled and threw the ape back with the Force.

When Andross hit the ground he managed to land on his feet. "Shivana!" Andross spat.

"Andross!" A voice called out from the wall of Jedi Masters. Andross looked over and saw the bulldog Rand leading the Jedi column with a smug look on his face.

"And Rand." Andross spat. "Tell me, what brings you, Shivana and the rest of the Jedi Masters out this fine day?" The Dark Lord said casually as if he wasn't the least bit worried.

"To bring you back to the light, dead or alive." Rand replied.

"Afraid not Rand." Andross cackled. "I'll be taking my leave now, my business is done here."

"You're not going anywhere Andross." Shivana snapped as she ran at the Dark Lord.

"SHIVANA STOP!" Rand barked causing the white wolf to stop midstride.

"What an obedient little wolf pet." Andross commented. "You sensed it didn't you Rand?" Rand growled in response. "Then I'll be off but know this, the next time I come to Corneria there will be an army behind me so vast it will blot out the sun from orbit."

"Stop right-" Shivana shouted but was cut off.

"Let him go Shivana, if we kill him this whole place will explode and if we fight him without the intent to kill he'll certainly strike us down." Rand growled.

"But he's weakened!" Shivana protested as she watched the laughing ape stalk off into the darkness. A door opened within the darkness and closed when the Dark Lord passed through.

Shivana tried every technique she knew on how to keep calm but none of them were working. She could not believe they just let the greatest enemy of the Lylat slip out of their clutches without so much as an effort to keep him. The she-wolf deactivated her green Lightsaber and growled in her throat.

"I need help over here!" someone shouted behind Mistress Shivana. Immediately the she-wolf ran to assist the man but found that the caracal didn't need her help but someone else did.

"Fox!" Shivana gasped when her eyes fell onto the poor little vulpine. He had burns all over his body, his fur was missing in several places, he was covered in blood and he wasn't breathing. Without another second's pause Mistress Shivana placed her hands on Fox's chest and set to work.

"Someone tend to Vane and the bomb." Shivana growled as she focused intently on keeping Fox's little heart beating.

~X~X~X~X~

Andross smiled as his private shuttle sped off into space. The hyper drive would be slow but he couldn't take a warp gate to Venom without attracting attention. A small smile spread across his face despite the grievous humiliation he had befallen. He was more surprised then angry, he'd survived a Jedi Master ambush and maybe (if they didn't deactivate the bomb in time) killed some. Once he was out of the Lylat he dropped out of hyperspace to relay a message. After an hour's wait a link was established. A man appeared on the small projector and nothing about him wasn't twisted. He had no fur yet he was a member of the canine family (either a dog, fox or wolf) and his skin was a grisly blackish grey color, like a log that had been in a fire too long.

Andross bowed deeply. "Master, my mission is complete."

"What have you to report?" the man said with a voice like gravel rubbed against sandpaper.

"He is most definitely one of the keys to our plans." Andross smiled.

"Good, once we find the other, no Jedi or army will be able to stand in our way. Return to Venom, I have another task for you my apprentice."

Andross bowed his head. "As you wish master."

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys, chapter eleven should be up soon, if I can get it done before Sunday. For those of you wondering why I was absent for so long, well to put it simply since the day I started writing stories I hadn't taken a break. So for a long year or so I've been writing and trying to balance everything else in my life. Now after a short break pages are flying out of me faster than the flying monkeys out of the wicked witch of the west's castle. Anyways hope you enjoyed and if you see this story back at the top of the list Saturday then know that chapter eleven is up! BYE PEEPS!**_


	11. Foiled

'_All right the red light is blinking this time. It's taken me at least sixty four times to do this right. Anyways I'm back at the Jedi Temple on Corneria… I think. After what happened I was brought here to the medical wing. I got my own room, T.V., and Katt visits me every day. I'm really glad she visits me, not too many people I like do and she is really nice to talk to. Well I guess that's it for now, I'm going to try to get some sleep…the nightmares are back though. If I have another I'll record it when I wake up.'_

Fox placed the audio recorder under his pillow and sighed. The room he was in was usually bright and cheery but at night it was dark and terrifying to him at times. The moon looked down on him through the windows above. The little vulpine shivered, he hated sleeping now. Every time he woke up he was in a cold sweat, his heart was beating in his head, his burns hurt, his fur was bushy and he could never remember what he dreamed of. The doctors and healers had put him on IVs because he wouldn't eat. He had no desire to eat, no appetite or craving. Sometimes Fox would unroll the bandages on his chest and stare at his injuries. Mistress Shivana had done wonders over the last few days but they were still pretty gruesome.

As the orange vulpine laid there in his bed his eyes began to fall. He didn't want to go to sleep, the nightmares would return, but as he laid there and the hours ticked by, he fell prey to exhaustion….

…. Light burned into Fox's eyes, he blinked rapidly, he couldn't move or think. The little vulpine began to pant, his chest heaved up and down. The nightmares were still fresh in his mind, polluting and controlling it and his actions.

"Good morning Fox, how are you to- what are you doing!"

Fox exploded into a wild rage. He jumped up out of his bed and smashed his hand into the plate of food on the bedside table. The plate, glass and silverware went flying, shattering and clanking onto the floor. Before the old, grey vixen could do anything to stop him, Fox ran into the far corner of the room babbling in an indescribable gibberish.

"Fox? What's wrong-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Fox shrieked and lifted his hand Forcing the food cart at the old vixen. The food cart was an inch from her muzzle but stopped just before it killed her. Her muzzle was hanging, her eyes dilated and she collapsed onto the ground from shock. The food cart gently floated away from the old nurse and came to a rest several feet away from her. The grey vixen looked back behind her and sighed with relief.

"Oh thank the Force, Vane!" She said as she placed her hand over her heart.

"Ms. Stronghold, why don't you take a few steps back?" Vane said as he walked into the room. He helped Ms. Stronghold up and supported her until she could collect her bearings.

"What's wrong with him?" Ms. Stronghold asked as she stared at the berserk vulpine. Fox pounded his fists on the walls and clawed them when his hands hurt too much. His shouts were loud and full of pain, fear and anger. Master Vane moved towards him but Ms. Stronghold held him back. "Please be gentle with him, he's really hurt and-"

"Gwen," Vane said softly, "you know how much I love- ow." Vane said when an unopened box of rubber gloves hit him in the back of the head. Without another word Vane approached Fox slowly and cautiously, the little vulpine was a lot stronger than him and in his blind rage could destroy him and anything else in his way.

"Fox," Vane said in a cool, calm voice unlike the way he usually speaks "calm down, nothing here is going to hurt you."

Master Vane reached out to Fox's mind but it was like a violent current full of emotions, mainly fear. Before Vane could suppress Fox's emotions the little vulpine attacked in a blind rage. Fox's muzzle was curled, his teeth bared, his ears laid back, claws drawn and his orange fur was standing on end. Fox struck at Vane's hip with his claws but the attack was easily stopped when Master Vane grabbed Fox's wrist. Unfortunately Vane didn't realize just how well Fox did in unarmed fights. The little vulpine moved with speed that turned him into an orange blur, Master Vane could only listen to the Force and let it guide him to repel the erratic child. With the Force on his side, Master Vane managed to stop Fox's claws from cutting more than his robes and Fox's feet from giving him no more than a few bruises to his shins. Then in a fierce and inattentive attack, Fox left an opening that Vane exploited to the fullest. In one quick movement Vane grabbed Fox's left arm and twisted it around placing Fox in a hold. Once Fox became subdued Vane forced him to the ground and tried to do so as painlessly as possible for the both of them.

Fox tried his damndest to escape the hold, he wriggled and thrashed for several minutes but he only tired himself out allowing Vane to assert himself into Fox's mind and calm it down. Slowly and then suddenly, Fox's eyes became too heavy for him to hold them up.

"Is he all right?" Mrs. Stronghold asked worriedly.

"He'll be fine, he's just very frightened and confused right now." Master Vane said with a deep troubled sadness in his voice. He knew that Fox's trauma was his fault, he allowed Andross to get his sadistic hands on him and in mere moments he twisted Fox's psyche. The burns all over Fox's body were gruesome and took all of Shivana's and his power to heal them but time would have to do the rest. Every scar, every ounce of pain and every nightmare was because he was too weak and foolish to have beaten Andross.

"Damn him, goddamn that evil son of a bitch to Hell." Mrs. Stronghold said as she watched Vane carry Fox to his bed and gently place him down on the soft sheets. "Whoever hurts children should be killed by a rancor and slowly digested over a thousand years."

"I must leave now, he needs his rest." Vane said and stalked out of the room with long, fast strides.

~X~X~X~X~

Fox groaned and his body began to stir, he felt tired, hurt and did not want to wake up just yet. He didn't have any nightmares about Andross, his mother or death so he woke up calmer than before. The groggy vulpine yawned and opened his tired eyes to find a surprise.

"Krystal!" Fox said delightfully but he wasn't heard. Krystal was sitting in the chair next to his bed but she was fast asleep. Fox's mammal night vision allowed him to see and watch her without turning on a light. She was so beautiful even at the age of eight. Fox tried his damndest not to think of her in such a way but the way she was often made him forget. She was so mature for her age, even more mature than him, she was smarter than him for sure, she was more adapt in the Force and in Lightsaber combat, she spoke with power and confidence and above all else she looked so pretty. Fox would have bet his tail and right arm that when she reached her twenties she would be the most beautiful thing in the Lylat and outside of it.

'That's weird, she looks wet.' Fox thought once he regained his bearings. Fox almost reached a hand out to touch her and prove whether or not she was but he decided against it. Krystal hated being touched, she was even against hugging. 'She must have been training hard like always.' Fox thought as he smelt the sweat clinging to her fur.

'Poor thing.' Fox thought as he slowly got out of bed. The bed creaked and groaned under the shifting weight but Krystal did not wake. The little vulpine nudged the small vixen several times but she didn't wake. Deciding it would be better for her; Fox picked her up and put her on his bed. He wouldn't need it now, he had training to do. Like he normally did, Fox did his breathing and stretching exercises Mistress Shivana had taught him. He was one of the people in her class that had at one point sucked but made great leaps and bounds in improvement. He could balance on one leg fairly well and he was getting more and more flexible by the day. Flexibility was key in performing the more complex Lightsaber forms and methods.

After finishing the Horse stance and a breathing exercise, Fox reached for his Lightsaber.

"What the!" Fox gasped in the dark when he couldn't find his most prized possession. Fox growled in his throat when he realized he was unable to practice with a Lightsaber. Not wanting to get into bed with Krystal (because she'd most likely kick his ass), Fox decided to practice using the Force. There were a lot of miscellaneous objects that he'd take control of and make them fly around in the air but no matter how hard he tried his control was flawed, objects wobbled and it felt like he was forcing the Force to his will.

Fox set the chair down and looked at Krystal. She was so adapt in the Force she could make several battery cells hover in air and then send several of them into their correct spots. Her control wasn't wobbly, it was absolute. Why wasn't he able to keep his grip like hers?

'Maybe if I wake her up? No she wouldn't like that, she's been working hard and I haven't seen her as a morning person yet. For all I know she could be a coffee seeking demon when she first wakes up.' Fox thought to himself.

An hour of moonlight Force training, Fox grew anxious. He wanted to move, he wanted to exercise and hone his body but with no Lightsaber, he wasn't able to do so. Then the thought clicked in his mind and he remembered that Krystal had a Lightsaber. Fox cocked an eyebrow as he looked at sleeping vixen. If she hadn't noticed him putting her in his bed than maybe she wouldn't notice a Lightsaber's hum. Silently, and with beads of sweat dripping down his face and muzzle, Fox moved towards Krystal. He outstretched his hand knowing full well that if Krystal woke up he'd most likely lose that hand. With care fox wrapped his hand around Krystal's Lightsaber hilt and slowly drew it out of her belt. Krystal's ear twitched and Fox stopped breathing. She wasn't moving, she was still sleeping but the simple twitch mortified him. After a good long ten minutes she did not move Fox proceeded taking her Lightsaber. Finally, after a whole terrifying thirty minutes Fox held Krystal's Lightsaber.

'The hilt is so long… why is that?' Fox wondered as he took giant, silent strides away from the vixen 'The grip is excellent, much better than the silly practice Lightsabers… why are there two grips on-' Fox thought as he pressed the switch to turn it on. At once two beams of light shot out of both the Lightsaber's ends.

"A double Lightsaber?" Fox gasped and quickly turned it off. After Fox had gotten another Lightsaber from Master Vane he'd done some research on it's forms. He had read that aside from dual Lightsaber techniques, the double bladed Lightsaber techniques were the hardest to learn and master. The more Fox thought about Krystal having a double bladed Lightsaber, the less absurd it seemed. It kind of made sense that she, of all people, would use a double ended Lightsaber.

'But wait, when she fought me and all those other apprentices, she only had a single blade… oh wait here it is.' Fox thought as he found the indiscrete and isolated switch to set it to two, or one.

"Having fun Fox?" Someone said from behind the vulpine, causing his to jump, yip and go extremely bushy.

"M-M-Master Vane! What a… surprise." Fox said hiding Krystal's Lightsaber behind his back as if he wasn't already busted.

Master Vane stepped into the room and the door closed behind him with a quiet hiss. "Fox, I know you are many things, but a thief?"

Fox's muzzle dropped. "A thief? Me? Never!"

"Than what is that behind your back?" Vane queried.

Fox's stomach squirmed like it had butterflies in it, butterflies covered with spikes. "Krystal's Lightsaber." Fox admitted sadly.

"And is it not wrong to borrow or in this case, take, a Jedi's Lightsaber without telling her?" Vane asked as he took quiet, soft steps towards the shamed vulpine.

"It is." Fox admitted and brought the Lightsaber out from behind his back.

"Than why don't you put it back… and we can talk about some things."

Fox nodded his hand and moved to Krystal's side. He tried to put the Lightsaber back but as his hand touched Krystal's belt, her swift blue hand clasped down tightly on his hand. Once again the vulpine was shocked and surprised out of his mind.

"If you take my Lightsaber again Fox, you lose the hand you take it with." Krystal growled. She was in no sense, a morning person. Fox trembled as he stared into the icy blue eyes. His heart was pounding, his left wrist was hurting and its circulation was cut off.

"You look tired Krystal, didn't get enough sleep?" Master Vane asked and Krystal released Fox's hand opening the veins.

"Not really Master, I could use more but I am ready regardless." Krystal said getting out of Fox's bed.

"We can have this conversation later. If you are tired enough to kick Fox out of his bed-"

"Master she didn't really. I woke up and saw her sleeping in that chair so I put her in the bed." Fox said stepping in to Krystal's defense.

"You did what!" Krystal barked.

"I'm sorry." Fox said quickly as his ears drooped.

"Don't you ever touch me again without my permission!" Krystal growled showing her teeth.

For some reason unbeknownst to either fox, whenever one of them got angry, the other got even angrier. Feeling the anger off of Krystal and her words, Fox went on the offensive.

"I only did it for your own good! But don't worry, when you're lying face down in the mud I won't help you up!"

"What does that even mean!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Fox retaliated.

"Enough!" Master Vane said a little loudly ending the little argument. "You two are coeds, you shouldn't be fighting like this… although maybe it may prove my theory."

"Your theory Master?" Krystal asked.

Master Vane sighed. "Fox, Krystal. I have been keeping you both in the dark for some time now. I have been avoiding you, haven't been involved in your training and I haven't told either of you a thing about what's happening."

Fox and Krystal were silent; they stared intently at the smiling yellow fox mask waiting for him to got on.

"Where should I begin then?" Master Vane queried. "Ah, yes. I know now. Sit down both of you and don't interrupt me, I have no intention of repeating myself or stopping."

The two foxes sat down on Fox's bed without a word, both were riveting with excitement.

"Very well. Fox, why are you here?" Master Vane asked and before he could open his mouth Vane answered. "Like Krystal your midichlorian count is far higher than any other Jedi. This means that you can become almost unstoppable with my training. You also seem to have a bond with Krystal, a Force bond."

Fox frowned. He didn't like the idea of being bonded with Krystal at all but what was a Force bond? Whatever it was it didn't sit any better with Krystal who made a strange noise when Master Vane said Force bond. It was a noise like surprise and rage mixed into one.

"You shouldn't be so surprised Krystal. You've saved his life twice now and saving a person's life is one of the three ways to establish a Force bond." Vane said then cleared his throat. "The third and final reason you are here Fox is because of who is your father."

Fox shivered and his claws dug into his leg. Andross had mentioned his father but didn't give him a name. Deep down there were faint desires to finally meet his father but there were thousands of personal doubts, conflicts and worries that he wouldn't like what he met. What if his father was a killer, what if he was just a drain on society?

"You see Fox, your father is-"

"I don't want to know!" Fox snapped.

Master Vane paused as he studied the little vulpine. He looked certain but his mind was full of conflict. The masked man almost disregarded his comment and went ahead telling him but if Fox didn't want to know then why tell?

"Very well. Three days ago Andross came to Corneria. He was hoping to find and capture you Fox and if he knew about Krystal, her as well. I allowed his agents to infiltrate the Jedi temple and with Krystal safe in my quarters I delivered you to them. Why does he want you two though? Same reason I want you, only he wants to train you in the Dark side of the Force. Sad thing is though, he is the lord of the Sith and he'd never be able to lift you to your darkest potentials."

"An even sadder thing is I was the one who taught him almost everything he knows about the Force." Vane said coldly making both apprentices shudder. "Yes, I was once his master even though we were both Padawans together. Should I tell you the story or shouldn't I? Fox, you don't even trust the Force let alone understand it so you would be confused by what I have to tell. And as for you Krystal, no doubt your Cerinian roots are taking hold of you and you beret me with furious questions. So I guess I should tell you my story."

There was a long pause, Fox hardly dared to breathe throughout the whole thing. Something about Master Vane had changed. He was now seen in a better light, he wasn't as mysterious as before. Fox still respected him; after all it would be hypocritical to think differently when the first Force technique he learned was one of the darkest Force powers.

"Thirteen years ago, the Lylat was in utter peril. Planetary systems were left to fend for themselves as armies dropped in at random and attacked. The Dark Side was strong them, much stronger than it is today. Shivana, Andross and I were tracking down the Lord of the Sith, his name was Darth Necropolis. He was ruthless, he had his armies lay waste to cities from orbit, if you didn't join him you were killed. The war wasn't going well for us and when Andross' master died I took it upon myself to train him since there were no available teachers at the time. I was a fool then. I didn't see, or refused to see him slowly slipping into corruption's grasp."

"With their combined strength Shivana and I almost died but we managed to escape before the Cornerian fleet arrived and laid waste to Necropolis' battle station. Andross managed to escape to but not before taking the throne."

"I had set a trap for him the day he sent his subordinates for you Fox, but he was always crafty, sinister and slippery. I had also hoped that I would have been able to correct my past mistake of letting him live… unfortunately that will have to wait for another time. That is all."

The two apprentices thought about what they had just heard. As the message sank in Fox had a nagging question on his mind. The longer he tried to wait the more it hounded him until finally he spoke.

"What is a Force bond?"

"A Force bond is a bond through the Force that is almost un-severable. It is usually made over time like when a Master trains an apprentice. Another way is when two people become intimate-"

"I'd never!" Fox and Krystal exclaimed simultaneously. The two foxes looked at each other, glared and looked away.

"Yes I'm sure you wouldn't. The third and final way is when one saves another's life. I've heard stories of people who were already bonded before meeting each other but there is no way to be certain." Vane explained.

"I see, but what does it do?" Fox asked.

"Depends on how strong they are. If they are too strong you'd feel Krystal's pain as she feels yours and if she were to die, chances are you would to." Vane said causing Fox to shiver. "But don't worry; your bond isn't as deep. I'd say that you'd only be able to tell when the other is in danger or not. If Krystal were in danger you wouldn't be able to rest until you saw her out of it."

Out of the peripheral of his eye Fox saw Krystal squirm uncomfortably.

"Is there a way to sever a Force bond?" Fox asked.

"Other than die I know of none." Vane replied. Fox nodded his head and was silent. "I believe that is all, unless you want to know who your father was-" Vane said but broke off when Fox shook his head. "Very well. Come Krystal, he needs his rest."

"Yes Master." Krystal said and jumped up off Fox's bed to follow him. For a fleeting moment Fox hoped Krystal would say goodbye, but she didn't even look back before she and Master Vane left him.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys and girls what's up? Yeah I know, boring chapter but I had to get some crap out of the way. I would have had this chapter posted over a week ago but unfortunately (or is it fortunately?) I read a review of a certain fan who was all like! OMG I bet Fox has trauma! Then it hit me, he is going to have to have trauma! No child can get fried and not have trauma! So God damn it I have to re-write the nine pages I had written down. But that's okay, he/she probably saved my ass. Anyways I hope you enjoyed, thanks for staying with this story as long as so many of you have… about all four of you. Don't worry about this story avertedly ending like AVAV and Lylat Bio war did. Despite the lack of popularity I'm keeping this one alive until the end. But note the title of this story, Star Fox: Padawan. Oh one more thing, yes we all know who Fox's father is but do we know **__**who**__** he is? Good or bad? Place your bets!**_


	12. Home Again

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys… sorry but this isn't an action chapter… it's kind of like the last one but with extra feel good feeling with every bite! Anyways enjoy and sorry it took so damn long.**_

'_I can't think too straight, everything is a cloudy fog. I think I'm on drugs. Little high maybe. Not bad but not all that great. Heck it keeps the pain away, last night my burns flared up for some reason and I couldn't go back to sleep without drugs. Mrs. Stronghold is really nice. She brings me treats and we talk for hours. She used to have a kid here but she didn't get a chance to tell him she was his mother before he died in the Lylat war. He was a Jedi and she said I remind her a lot of him, said I was the same orangey color. Nice lady, it's a shame what happened to her son. I did a bit of study on Force bonds but it was too long so I didn't read it. What I got out of it though is Krystal might start liking me, then again maybe she already does. She sure doesn't act like it though. I haven't seen her in… last time I saw her I guess. Anyways… yeah.'_

Fox hid the audio recorder under his pillow after he made sure he had taken the entry down this time. The first three times he tried he had forgotten to press record so he had to start all over Since last Krystal and Vane visited him, he had had only three visitors (also excluding Mrs. Stronghold), the first was Master Rand but Fox didn't feel like talking to him too much and feigned fatigue. The next was Katt, she had tears rolling down her face when she walked in the room but as they talked Fox made sure she saw his injuries weren't as severe as she was told. The third and final visitor was Mistress Shivana; she just wanted to check up on him and said she missed him in her lessons which made the vulpine go red under his fur despite the heavy amounts of drugs in his system. The last two visitors were great (Rand sucked) to see but Fox would have liked to have seen Krystal more than anyone. He missed being in her presence and looking upon her loveliness when she wasn't looking.

Nightfall came again and Fox was given an extra dose of morphine to help him sleep. All he did now was lie in bed, eat, rest and sleep when people were watching but when he could he got out of bed and trained. Slowly and blissfully Fox succumbed to the medicine. He dreamed that night which was a change from the nightmares he had been having night after night….

The little vulpine yawned, showing off all his pointy white teeth in the process. When he opened his eyes he lit up instantly.

"Hey! Hey Krysie!" Fox said causing Krystal to cock an eyebrow and give Fox a disbelieving look.

"Krysie?" Krystal said aloud. "Fox what in the name of the Force is wrong with you?"

Fox just rolled his eyes, let his head fall back and laughed. "Oh Krysie, Kristy, Krystality, Krys." Fox laughed. "You're so cute when you're funny. But you're hysterical when you snore!"

Krystal's ears flared. "They said you were pretty out of it… oh well I can see you're all right." The blue vixen said as she started to get up out of the bedside chair.

"No wait Krystal." Fox said finally saying her name right. "Don't leave, we have to talk about… stuff and… I miss you a lot." The vulpine admitted, genuine sadness in his voice.

Krystal smiled warmly and her body expressions smoothened. "You can tell me later when your head has cleared up and your wounds have healed."

As she walked off she grazed Fox's mind with the Force. He was definitely drugged up on painkillers but there was a hint of sadness swimming in the sea of pain relief. He so desperately wanted to talk to her but she had her own things to do, training, studying and practicing Force techniques. Fox could wait but she felt bad for walking out on him. Just as she reached the door she turned around falling prey to Fox's sad green eyes.

"I'm glad you're all right Fox, it would have been boring without you hounding my heels." Krystal said with a warm tone and smile. That was all Fox needed but not all he wanted. Still he could wait till later. As she closed the door behind her Fox sighed and laid his head back on the white pillow. He suddenly felt very tired again and closed his eyes.

~X~X~X~X~

Three weeks had passed; Krystal had resumed her daily spurning of the other apprentice's efforts at beating her. No matter how many ganged up on her, two, three, five, twelve, she was just unbeatable. A true protégé and in time a master of Lightsaber combat. She never bragged but she new she was better than every apprentice, Padawan and even a few Jedi. So with a light and slow swing Krystal stopped the last of the fifteen's combatants. She fell down clutching her wrist in pain like most everyone else.

"All right I'm done for today." Krystal said and tried to step out of the circle but she was delayed.

"No! Not yet! We almost got you that time!" The leader of the group, a blue gecko Pier protested.

"No you didn't and I can't stay, I have other matters to address." Krystal said snippily. She didn't like Pier; he was a brash one and led his team like a retard trying to fuck a doorknob. He didn't think about his words, actions, or orders. If the opposing team had a different, more competent team leader than him than maybe they'd pose a threat, maybe.

Like usual Pier bitched and moaned for a rematch but Krystal ignored him, she couldn't spend all her time with fools and since Fox took up a lot of her fool time there was less for everyone beneath her. As Krystal walked out the training room her stomach felt the first twinge of hunger. It was lunch time so Krystal decided to grab a quick meal before she continued her daily routine. After a quick lunch Krystal was back in her room meditating while bending objects to her will.

Krystal was able to make several things levitate at once but she couldn't make more than two things move at the same time. Today she was pressing herself to make four things move at once. As she willed four books to move towards her desk the other six books began to wobble and her concentration began to wane. Krystal gritted her teeth and tried to fight for control but her mind kept slipping. Fox repeatedly appeared in her mind, his cute, orange face smiling at her tenderly, his bushy tail swishing side to side. With one last ditch effort Krystal shunned, banished and expelled all thoughts of Fox from her mind. Despite her efforts all the books fell.

"Firefek!" Krystal growled to herself.

"Firefek is a poison spreads through the body quickly." A deep voice said behind Krystal making her jump. "I see that some of Fox's vices have spread to you."

Krystal jumped up and bowed respectively. "I'm sorry master I was frustrated and it slipped out."

Master Vane didn't move and his masked eyes studied the young vixen. "It's all right Krystal but try to make an effort for it to not happen again. Fox has already been made aware of his… habit and will be disciplined if it continues."

"Yes Master." Krystal replied. There was a long pause before Krystal said. "Is there something you need of me Master?"

Krystal stood uncomfortably waiting for an answer. At first she was worried she had done something wrong but she never usually did. Aside from the rash seizure of Fox's first Lightsaber she did nothing wrong so she quickly disregarded that thought.

"Krystal, I can't teach you anything here, the Jedi Council won't allow me or any other unauthorized instructor to personally teach students. That said I require of you to give me your word as Cerinian and a Jedi in training that you will not tell anyone of what I am about to tell you."

"You have my word Master." Krystal said without hesitation.

Master Vane shut the door behind Krystal and took off his cloak. "Krystal, once we reach Papetoon you'll find that it is truly a world's difference. The Jedi there are… different. A better word for them would be better."

Krystal's left ear twitched. "Better Master?"

"You must see it? The Jedi here are… mislead. The once noblest and ancient of Jedi teachings no longer hold any stock in them. They are beginning to teach students flawed teachings. The Cornerian Jedi Temple is becoming more and more Sith like."

The back of Krystal's throat went dry and her tail swished with rage. "The Sith?" She spat distastefully.

"Not evil like them but there are traces of Sith within most the Jedi here. Some let their anger get the best of them, some are now letting greed rule them, some are even neglecting the Jedi Code. Not only that but on Corneria they won't allow me to teach you personally. Once we are on Papetoon however, you and Fox will be taught by me and one other."

Krystal smiled eagerly and her heart began to beat. Master Vane was going to teach her and even if Fox was going to be there to slow them down, at least she was still going to learn from the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy.

"Who is the other Master?"

~X~X~X~X~

Fox laid in bed cleaning his claws. He wanted nothing more than to get up and do something today but Mrs. Stronghold wouldn't allow it. She said Fox still had a number of days to heal but more days than one was too many for Fox. If he didn't get up and start exercising than Krystal would get further and further ahead of him. Fox growled to himself when his claws were clean and he fell back on his pillow with nothing to do.

The little orange vulpine began to strum his fingers but stopped and sat up in an instant when he heard the door hiss open.

"Hello Fox, I'm glad to see you're in a good mood." Mistress Shivana said to the perky eared, tail twitching, bright eyed vulpine. Fox was a little disappointed it wasn't Krystal visiting him again but Shivana was just as good.

"Hello Mistress." Fox greeted warmly.

"How are you feeling?" The white arctic wolf asked as she walked dreamily towards Fox, her fur glistening in the sunlight and her eyes shining like yellow topaz in the light.

Fox shrugged. "Can't complain."

"Well good. I knew you would be fine, you're as tough as they come."

"Thanks." Fox said burning red under his fur. He didn't know why, but every time he was around her he got a warm fuzzy feeling. It was kind of like the one for Krystal except it wasn't. Fox didn't know how to explain it and doubted anyone could for that matter if they were feeling what he felt.

"Mistress, did you save me?" Fox asked after a long pause.

Mistress Shivana sat by Fox in the small chair next to his bed. Her tail curled around her back and rested on her lap. Every now and then the tip of her soft bushy tail would rise and lower softly.

"I played a part in your rescue, the other Jedi Masters helped." Mistress Shivana said gazing into Fox's green eyes.

"Well, thank you Mistress." Fox said and looked down at his wrestling hands. He had no idea they had been fighting with each other, they just developed minds of their own.

"Of course I was the one who kept you living and breathing while healers were fetched. I almost lost you but just when I thought you were gone you pulled though Fox." Mistress Shivana said and folded her hands in her lap on top of her plush tail.

For a while Fox didn't say anything, he just sat their gazing at the beautiful wolf. He had so many more questions but why spoil this moment? He'd leave this planet soon and most likely never see her again but if he did she would be older and the effects of time would have taken their toll on her.

Mistress Shivana laughed quietly to herself. "Oh Fox, you remind me of someone I once knew."

"Who?" Fox asked.

"It doesn't matter, it was so long ago." Mistress Shivana sighed. "Well I best be off, I shouldn't take up too much of your time, you need to get well."

"I don't mind Mistress." Fox said hoping she'd stay just a little longer.

"Don't worry Fox; you're going to have some visitors soon." Mistress Shivana said as she turned to leave.

"Wait!" Fox called after her.

The white she-wolf turned around. "Yes Fox?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me what happened after. I can only remember a few things. I don't know why but some of it I just can't remember for the life of me." Fox said even as he tried to recall what happened. He knew something, whatever it was, bad happened. He knew this because of the burns all over his body.

"Well Fox." Mistress Shivana said placing her hand on Fox's shoulder. "Some things are better left forgotten. Perhaps this spell of mild amnesia is for the best?"

"Maybe… all I can remember was cutting off that one guy's arm and-

"That was you!" Mistress Shivana gasped.

"Yeah that was me. Why? Did I do something wrong?" Fox asked worriedly because of Shivana's tone.

"No, you did well… very well." Shivana growled to herself. "He was in all essence, the worst thing to have existed in the last thousand years. He's done nothing but bring suffering and misery to everything around him." Shivana explained with clear signs of anger, malice and hatred in her voice. If only you could have cut off that monster's head instead of his hand

"Well I tried to, after he knocked Master Vane out I had to save the day as usual." Fox said trying to amuse the angry she-wolf. It worked.

"Oh really?" Shivana laughed. "Go on, tell me everything that you can remember."

"Well, remember getting out of the ship, Master Vane was already Andross' prisoner and I knew that backup was either far out or not coming at all. I also knew that there was no way I'd be able to beat Andross, yet," Fox added quickly "but I got him to focus on me anyways. Once Andross was far away enough from Vane I let him have it! There was twice as much lightning as there was from the fight with Sara or Sera whatever that chick's name is."

Fox had to pause and let Mistress Shivana recover from her fits of laughter. She wasn't laughing at him, she was laughing at Sera's name and Fox knew she was laughing at Vane.

"So Vane was captured and you managed to save him?" Shivana giggled

Fox bit his lips. "Well sort of. Andross managed to block my lightning and after that we resorted to hand-to-hand. He snuck up on me and hit me first which is why he won the fight but I still managed to get a few hits in. Realizing I was going to get the upper hand he started using the Force and sent me flying into a bunch of wreckage. I hit the ground hard and when Andross tried to convert me and I called him a- oh hey Master Vane! I was just uh… telling Mistress Shivana what happened and-"

"Oh I'm sure." Master Vane said cutting Fox off. Krystal was by his side and the look on her face was clearly not amused. Apparently they had both heard Fox's version of what happened.

"Hello Vane." Shivana said warmly, not as warmly as she did to Fox the little vulpine noticed.

"Hello Shivana." Vane replied quickly. "Having fun with the sick?"

"Oh yes, Fox is always good company." Shivana said standing up. "I take it you haven't told him?"

"I was just about to." Vane said and then looked to Fox. "Fox, Mistress Shivana will be joining us on our journey to Papetoon." Vane said and Fox's ears shot right up and his nose started twitching involuntarily. "After we get settled at the Jedi Academy on Papetoon she and I will start training you ourselves."

Fox wanted nothing more than to cock his head back, swear as loudly as he could and start moving around. The news Vane had just given him was like candied bacon. There was nothing wrong with what Vane just told him and momentarily there was nothing wrong with the world. Then he remembered.

"Oh! Master Vane! I need to do something before I leave." Fox said getting out of bed.

"Do you now…?" Vane asked as he stared at Fox from behind the yellow smiling mask. "Fox… have you been in bed the entire time you have been hospitalized?"

Fox licked his lips, his tail started twitching and his face immediately took over a look that could almost spell "guilty."

"Um… yes." Fox said strangely. "I haven't left my bed…" Fox said but stopped when he thought he saw a glimmer in the black eyehole of the mask "…more than a few times." Fox finished.

"And during those times how long and why were you up." Vane asked.

"A few min… hours… training." Fox admitted and couldn't look the mask in the eye anymore out of shame. "I'm sorry, I know I wasn't supposed to but it gets so boring when the drugs wear off." Fox said, not mentioning the horrific nightmares that kept him up for hours at night. He had had nightmares before but ever since he got tangled up with Jedi they had skyrocketed into something demonic

"I see." Vane said and Fox shivered. For some reason the vulpine suspected that Vane already knew the reason he was up training at night. "We'll talk later on your punishment but for now, what do you need to do?"

~X~X~X~X~

Business was slow. Things used to be a lot livelier around the shop when Fox was around. Even if there wasn't a customer at all for the day (which only happened when Fox forgot to switch the open sign on), the little vulpine made the day fun and worth working. Flakes of paint came off of the counter top as a rag swept over it in small circles for the sixty fourth time that hour.

Charlie sighed and shrugged his shoulders. Business was slow and chances were it wasn't going to pick up in the next and final hour of the week. So with tired, heavy steps the old rabbit walked over to the door and shut off the neon open sign. He had already taken stock six times today and four of those times he did it twice. As boring as that was, it took his mind off of Fox. Fox had said some mean hurtful things but never, in his young life had Fox tried to intentionally hurt someone. When he got angry he was irrational and would say things he took back only minutes later. Still, this time Fox hit him at the quick. He hadn't had nightmares of the final push in years but Fox brought them all back.

As Charlie stepped away from the door its knob started to rattle. For a fleeting moment Charlie thought it was Fox but he was at the Jedi Temple becoming a Jedi. He wasn't allowed to see him without putting his apprenticeship in jeopardy.

"Store's closed." Charlie grunted and started walking again but the door opened. "Didn't you hear me?" Charlie snapped and then turned around. "Store's-"

There was a long silence in the store. Charlie couldn't believe his eyes as his nephew stood in the doorway, his ears drooped in pain and his cheeks soaked with tears. He was dressed in Jedi robes and that was strange since Fox had always worn a grey flight jacket and red scarf around his neck since the day he wanted to become a pilot like Charlie once was.

"Fox?" Charlie asked more than said.

"U-Uncle." Fox whimpered, his voice breaking prohibiting him from saying anything else for the time being.

"Fox what are you… how did… why are… Fox." Charlie said and his voice cracked.

"Uncle… I'm leaving Corneria, I can't tell you where I'm going but I had to tell you I am sorry for what I said. I was angry and I only wanted to hurt you but I shouldn't have. I know now that it was terribly wrong. What you did for me was the best thing anyone could do for their son- child." Fox said, his knees trembling and threatening to collapse from under him.

There was another silence but this one lasted longer. Soundless tears dripped down the vulpine's furry cheek as he stared up at his Uncle's unmoving face. Finally, after the suspense of what his uncle would do next. Without a word Charlie wrapped his arms around Fox and Fox his around Charlie.

"Fox, it's all right, I forgive you." Charlie wept. "I'm so glad to see you son."

Fox let it all out on his uncle's shoulder. It was a sweet reunion. He had his uncle's forgiveness and he even called him son, something that no other had ever done. Charlie might be his uncle and not his real father but there was no one else he would have wanted.

After their long embrace the two separated and wiped their eyes.

"So Fox, how long you staying for?" Charlie asked.

"I can stay for a little while. After that I leave for- where I'm going." Fox said, catching himself before he let it slip that he was going to Papetoon. "Charlie, there's something else I have to speak to you about with Aunt Lucy. Something important."

"Alright but can it wait? Your Aunt will be so thrilled your back she wouldn't even hear anything you say." Charlie chuckled.

Fox smiled slightly. "Sure, but make sure I don't forget."

"Come on. Let's go surprise Lucy." Charlie said wiping his eyes.

Fox smiled and followed his uncle out the back door of the store to the house. As they walked out the back door Fox could smell Aunt Lucy's sauerkraut which Fox wasn't the biggest fan of but he'd eat anything Lucy made at this point. He just wanted to see her and be with her and Charlie as long as he could before he left for Papetoon. Charlie opened the house's backdoor and quietly told Fox to wait at the door and he went into the kitchen first door on the right.

"Lucy, Lucy?" Charlie asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Charlie! What are you doing out of the store? What if there's a customer?" Lucy chided playfully. She really didn't care if there was a customer or not, she just wanted some company at the moment.

"Well about that, I was taking stock in the back and I found a little shoplifter back there. The little kid nearly burst into tears when I caught him but I'd still like you to give him a talking to." Charlie said gruffly as if he was trying to intimidate the kid he caught shoplifting.

"All right, where's my wooden spoon?" Lucy sighed.

"I'll get it for you, you just get started on him." Charlie replied.

"All right." Lucy said and her footsteps got closer. "Listen you little thief-" Lucy said but stopped dead when she saw the little "shoplifter." The middle aged rabbit's muzzle dropped and she clutched her heart. For a moment Fox was worried she was going to have a heart attack. "F-Fox?"

"Hello Aunt Lucy." Fox said timidly. He might have Charlie's forgiveness but Aunt Lucy's he did not. He waited nervously for a few seconds before Aunt Lucy nearly smothered him but much to his surprise she was only hugging him.

"Oh Fox, I missed you so much." She cried as she slowly crushed the life out of the little vulpine. Fox tried to hug back but his body started to go limp and his face blue under his fur all due to lack of oxygen. Sparks were dancing in front of his eyes as he started to black out but luckily for him Lucy let him go before that happened.

"I missed you too." Fox replied and took deep breaths.

"Fox what was it like? Did they feed you well? Did they treat you right? Why are you here? Did you get expelled? Did you use the Force wrongly? Did you-"

"Now, now Lucy, you've already tried to smother him once now." Charlie chuckled. "How about we discuss this over sauerkraut-"

"To Hell with that. We're having spaghetti tonight."

'Sweet.' Fox thought to himself.

"But dear what about-"

"We can have that another time, besides spaghetti is Fox's favorite. Come on, everyone into the kitchen." Lucy said escorting Fox to the kitchen by holding onto his shoulders. It was as if she believed that if she let go of him he'd leave again. When they got into the kitchen she pulled Fox out a seat and sat him in it then moved to the stove and periodically checked over her shoulder to see Fox was still there. As Lucy cooked Charlie took a seat at the square kitchen table next to Fox.

"So Fox… how ya been?" Charlie asked not knowing where to start off.

"Fine." Fox lied.

"Been up to anything over at the Jedi Temple? Meet any girls?" Charlie added with his usual suave tone.

"A few and I haven't really been up to much. I'm always too busy training to do anything worthwhile." Fox said in a quieter, softer and almost sadder tone then he normally talked in. Charlie spotted it in a heartbeat but didn't want to pry so he told himself that it was just Fox growing up.

Aunt Lucy turned away from the pot of boiling noodles and pot of tomato sauce she made herself and asked. "Have they been teaching you well?"

Fox shrugged. "Some of the Masters. Mistress Shivana is a really good teacher and she taught me a lot of stretches and exercises." Charlie scratched his chin and looked deep in thought. Fox waited a little while, thinking Charlie had something to say but he was silent. "Aside from that I'm learning the Lightsaber form Shii-cho, it's the most basic and they don't let me use a real Lightsaber, just a practice one." Fox added when Aunt Lucy made a look of surprise and oncoming anger.

"Then you can't hurt yourself with the practice Lightsaber then?" Lucy asked letting the pot behind her boil over a little.

"Well no, not permanently at least. It's kind of like a mild electrical shock and touching a hot pot… speaking of which." Fox said and raised his hand towards the pot. With every fiber in his being he concentrated on moving the pot carefully so not to hurt or seriously burn Lucy. She turned around and freaked when she saw the floating pot drift off the burner and move to another burner on the stove that wasn't on.

"Oh my God!" Lucy gasped and looked at Fox like he was the anti-Christ. "Fox did you-" She ended abruptly when Fox started nodding. "H-How?"

"With the Force." Fox replied softly.

"That's amazing Fox!" Charlie said with an awestruck look on his face. "When I was in the service I heard that it sometimes takes months for a student to tap into the Force and it took you not even a single month! What else can you do?"

"That's it." Fox lied. He didn't want Charlie to know that he could use Force Lightning or its deadlier form Force Lightning Storm. Countless soldiers fell to the ruthless attack and some of Charlie's comrades were among those countless. Besides, the fewer people who knew that he knew how to use a powerful Sith technique, the better he was off.

"Well in time I bet you'll be powerful Jedi Counselor." Charlie praised.

"Jedi Counselor?" Fox mumbled but was loud enough to catch Charlie's ear.

"Haven't they told you already?" Charlie asked and Fox shook his head. "There are… or were it's been awhile since I last checked, three types of Jedi. There's the Guardian who is a master of Lightsaber combat, Counselor who is a master of the Force and then there is the Sentinel which is a mixture of both."

"I see. Thank you Charlie you might have saved my butt from a pop quiz." Fox said warmly.

"Fox what do they feed you at the Temple? They do provide meals right?" Lucy asked concernedly.

"They feed me three meals a day and I can have as much as I want so long as I don't deprive anyone of any food. The food's good I guess but nothing in comparison you your cooking Aunt Lucy." Fox added with a small grin.

"Thank you Fox, I'm sorry I asked, you look… thin is all." Lucy said and went back to preparing meatballs.

In truth Fox was thinner. He was leaner for sure, hours of training and even more hours of mind numbing Force training had taken its toll on Fox's body but rewarded him all the same. He was leaner, fitter and stronger than before he left but at the same time a lot of his baby fat was gone making him look smaller to Aunt Lucy who had an eye for detail. And after the days of bed rest Fox had lost at least five pounds and before that another five.

"So Fox, what do you do on a day to day basis?" Charlie asked.

"Well… when I get up I usually start with a quick exercise and stretch…" Fox began and told Aunt Lucy and Uncle Charlie what he thought they ought to know. He kept the fact that the other apprentice's were placing bets that he'd be first to fail, he kept the fact out that Krystal was better then him in anyway, in fact he kept Krystal out of the conversation entirely, he also kept out the fight he had with Sera.

"That's amazing! I knew you were tough Fox but seven hours of training a day everyday is something I don't think anyone in your old school could!" Charlie said and struck Fox's mind like a bolt of lightning.

"Fara!" Fox gasped and stood up. "Where is she? Is she all right? What happened to her?" He said fanatically.

"Calm down Fox calm down." Charlie said rising out of his chair slowly. "Fara's alright. She and her family jumped the planet and are now on Zoness. She and her parents wanted to thank you before they left but you were already at the Jedi Temple. Ooh!" Charlie said and then left the kitchen to go get something.

Fox's ears drooped and his tail sagged. "Fara's gone?" He said to himself and sulked. He was hoping to say hello and goodbye to her but she was already gone. He missed her a lot and stressed over her for hours on end because she was often in his nightmares but she was being tortured and hurt by those Sith he fought to protect her against.

"Oh don't worry Fox, you'll see her again, she even left you a video recording and her parents have been in almost constant contact with us." Lucy said as she hugged Fox softly and without hands since they were covered in sauce and bits of meat.

This perked the vulpine up a bit but he still would have liked to have at least said goodbye in person. As Fox sat down Charlie came back into the room with a small rectangular like object in his hand that was no more than two inches big. The device was recorder chip and was something sort of a flash-drive in appearance but it was used like a blank tape or CD.

"This is from her, she wanted me to give it to you and she said it was for your eyes only." Charlie said with a wink. Fox took the recorder chip and pocketed it.

"All right!" Lucy announced. "Dinner's done!"

~X~X~X~X~

"Good night Fox, you need anything, you know where we are." Charlie said hugging Fox for the umpteenth time that night.

"I know Charlie, down the hall but I'm not a little kid." Fox grumbled but took secret satisfaction in knowing that the offer was on the table.

"Good night Fox." Aunt Lucy said as she hugged Fox when Charlie was done.

"Good night Aunt Lucy." Fox said into Lucy's shirt since it was already smothering him again.

"Remember, anything at all." Lucy reminded the vulpine.

"I'll be fine guys now get to bed!" Fox said playfully and walked into his room.

"Good night Fox." Charlie said one more time.

"Good night Charlie, good night Lucy." Fox said again and slowly closed the door. Once it was closed the vulpine sighed silently. He missed them so much; it felt so good to be back. The vulpine turned around and found his room back in order from when he left it last. There wasn't anything burned in his room, the carpet had been vacuumed, the bed made and some of the stains on the wall were removed. Apparently Aunt Lucy had been in here, she tended to clean excessively when she was sad. Fox regretted contributing to her depression but at least things were right again.

The orange fox slowly padded through his room but something felt off. It didn't feel like his room anymore, the one he shared with Krystal felt more like his room now. This room had some fond memories in it but some things are reduced to memory alone. Fox stood over his bed and without warning collapsed on top of it, enjoying the soft blankets, even softer mattress and the sweet smells of recently washed laundry.

Fox almost fell asleep before he crawled under the blankets. When he was under he was out in moments. He slept soundly that night, for the first time in a long time without drugs he didn't have a nightmare of things wicked and Andross.

~X~X~X~X~

Fox's tired eyes half opened and his lazily lifted his head. He felt so rested but still so tired. He wondered why he had awoken but then his nose caught the scent of the reason. Fox moved his eyes and found the tray left out for him and the plate on top of it. The orange vulpine sat up on his bed and eyes the food on the plate. Bacon, sausage links, hash-browns, eggs, pancakes, toast and an omelet was all crammed onto the plate. Fox doubted if he could eat it all but one bite from the omelet and his hunger woke up. The plate of food was devoured in minutes and Fox washed it all down with the cup of orange juice on the TV dinner tray.

"That was so friggen good." Fox sighed as he laid back down on his bed. He almost went back to sleep but he was just letting the breakfast sit before moving. Once it had the vulpine went downstairs.

"So dear, what do you help Fox with?" Aunt Lucy said to someone also in the kitchen with her.

"Everything he needs help with. He learns rather slowly but once he learns he never needs to be taught again." An all too familiar voice said from inside the kitchen.

"I'm sorry; did you say that he actually beat a second year student?" Uncle Charlie asked.

'Oh no!' Fox thought to himself and ran to the kitchen. But before he could stop Krystal she already answered.

"In a manner of speaking, yes he did." She said politely.

'Oh thank you God!' Fox silently prayed.

"Oh good morning Fox." Charlie said when he noticed Fox in the doorway staring at Krystal who was sitting at the table with Charlie and Aunt Lucy.

"Morning Uncle, morning Aunt Lucy." Fox said without taking his eyes off Krystal. "Hey Krystal, what are you doing here?"

"We're leaving today Fox. I was going to tell you but your aunt and uncle told me you were asleep so I decided to wait. I've been telling them of your progress at the Temple." Krystal replied. "You have told them right?"

"About?" Fox asked.

"Relocation?" Krystal asked and the gears immediately turned in Fox's mind.

"Oh yeah… Uncle Charlie, Aunt Lucy I need to talk to you about moving." Fox said finally prying his eyes away from the blue vixen who was dressed in common people clothes rather then Jedi robes.

"Moving? What do you mean moving?" Charlie asked.

"You see Charlie… the Sith are trying to recruit and corrupt as many Jedi as they can. Master Vane believes that they'll come for you to get to me so he told me to tell you that you should pack up and leave the planet as soon as possible." Fox said tactfully.

"Move? But the shop's here, our home's here." Lucy gasped.

"I know but for your own safety it's what you should do." Fox reasserted.

"But everything we know is here. We've lived on Corneria for almost fifteen years!" Lucy asserted.

"I know Lucy… but Fox is right. The Sith are people you shouldn't mess with at all. If Fox and General Vane say that we should leave then we leave tomorrow." Charlie said.

"General Vane?" Krystal and Fox said in unison.

"You mean you both don't know? General Vane was one of the three top Jedi generals of the Lylat war. Without him we would have lost the final push where the Sith leader was killed. General Shivana was the second." Charlie said much to both the young kits' surprise. "Yes, consider yourselves blessed a thousand times over to be taught by such people. There is no doubt in my mind that the both of you will become the best Jedi the Lylat has ever known under their guidance."

""You better show them the utmost respect Fox, those two saved Charlie's life a dozen times." Lucy said in a slightly threatening way.

"I… I will Lucy." Fox said who was still reeling from the shock. This proved he knew absolutely nothing about the man who was training him. Fox felt uncomfortable being taught by someone who hid the truth from him like a mask does a face. Shivana however, he hardly even had that much interaction with her aside from her classes and even then it wasn't one-on-one interaction. He trusted Shivana a little more but probably only because she was hot.

"We should get going." Krystal said as she stood up from her chair.

"Are you sure? We were just about to make lunch and you're welcome to stay here as long as you like." Lucy said to the vixen.

"Well we have to report back to Vane and it's a thee hour walk from here-"

"Wait you walked here?" Charlie asked.

Krystal nodded. "Master Vane trusts in me that I can take care of myself and by walking amongst the people I can become subjugated to Cornerian culture."

Charlie eyed Krystal for a moment but then nodded himself. "General Vane must really hold you in high regard at such a young age already. But if you want a ride I can provide one."

"That is generous of you but-"

"It won't be of any inconvenience to me. Besides you are a customer and I should go out of my way to assist a customer." Charlie said getting up from his chair. Krystal almost started to protest but Fox stopped her.

"Don't, you're only wasting your time. Once he sets his mind to something he does it." Fox whispered.

"I see… so that's where you get it from."

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys, what's up? M'kay so I lied, I still had some crap to get out of the way but next chapter… maybe. Not the best way to comeback after a month (at least I think it was a month) dry spell. Never fear though, if I don't post any stories for a long time I will update one day. If I ever quit I'd have the good grace to at least say so but other than that the only reason I'd stop would be because I'm dead. But seeing as how I'm immortal, dying is just a little more likely then me quitting. Anyways you're going to notice a change in Fox's behavior as his amnesia wears off and he remembers all the crap he went through, the only reason he's been normal this chapter and the last is because he was drugged up (for the most part) and in this one he was with Charlie and Lucy so the bad thoughts were at bay. Anyways have a good one and… well… just have a good one.**_


	13. Teamwork

"_I said goodbye to Charlie and Aunt Lucy today, I kept the tears in but my throat still hurts. They didn't tell me where they were going although they did say they were leaving the planet. I miss them already; at least I left on good terms. Other than that, things are slow, the ship taking us to Papetoon lost its rear engine due to some blasted Mynocks. I haven't been sleeping well lately; the nightmares are getting worse and worse. Krystal says I'm acting different, like not my old self. She says this because I'm not as happy, talkative or social anymore. She jokes that she likes the new change but I saw the concern in her eyes. I don't… well I do feel different. I don't know why but I feel like death is waiting for me around every corner. I never leave my room without both Lightsabers and my holdout blaster. I know I'm being paranoid but still, something _is_ after me. I asked Vane and he gave me another practice Lightsaber, it's also green. He also showed me how to make my Lightsaber lethal or tone it down into training mode."_

The orange vulpine put the audio recorder under his bed. The cruise ship they were on was a moderately furbished one, the beds were soft, the sheets clean, the ship was well maintained and save the Mynock infestation (that was eradicated with extreme prejudice) Fox had nothing bad to say about it. He shared quarters with Krystal like before while Mistress Shivana and Master Vane shared quarters with each other down the hall. For some reason Mistress Shivana was a little bit more perky then usual, especially when she went into her room to retire with Master Vane. Fox was completely oblivious to the reason why but Krystal had her secret suspicions of what was really going on between them.

Just as Fox managed to get his audio recorder secured and well hidden Krystal walked in.

"Hey Krystal." Fox said lying back on his bed and letting his hand fall away from his Lightsaber.

"Expecting someone else?" Krystal asked.

"No, you just can't be too careful." Fox sighed and was silent.

The blue, young vixen twitched her tail as she felt the disturbing feelings emanating from Fox's mind. He was only like this after having another one of his nightmares and it worried her. But why was it worrying her? She didn't really give a damn if he died or not, she had no reason to. To her Fox was just another person in life, another stepping stone to becoming a master Jedi. But was that even true anymore? At first it might have been but when she put some thought into it that didn't seem so likely. She was genuinely afraid for Fox's life when he disappeared, she stayed several nights watching over him at night when he was bedridden, and she always got a warm feeling in her heart when she was near him. Krystal hated admitting it to herself but Fox was slowly becoming more then a worthless piece of meat.

"So Fox, are you ready for tomorrow's lesson?" Krystal asked as she strolled over to her bed on the opposite wall.

"Sure." Fox replied curtly.

"What's got into you?" Krystal growled taking offense to Fox's insolent tone.

"Nothing." Fox replied calmly then sat up. "It's just that I can't get any sleep with all your, CONSTANT TALKING!" Fox shouted and then threw the small cup of water on the bedside table next to him. The cup soared straight at the vixen's head but stopped in her hand.

"Oh! You're _so_ dead Fox!" Krystal growled and rushed the sitting vulpine.

Fox didn't wait for another warning; he quickly jumped up and ran to meet the enraged vixen. Their eyes met and they came at each other with even more rage. The two fox kits pulled back their arms as they drew within four feet of each other. Krystal and Fox took a swing but before either one of their fists could reach the other's muzzles their bodies shot back and floated in air.

"Now what are you two doing?" Mistress Shivana asked as she held her left arm in the air.

"Killing him!" Krystal growled.

"Killing her!" Fox growled.

"Dear oh dear." Shivana sighed and the two apprentices began to orbit around the center of the room. The colorless she-wolf stepped into the middle of their orbit and waited a few moments for the two foxes to give her their attention. "Listen you two, if I'm to train you then there are a few rules we have to set before I so much as give you a homework assignment. First" Mistress Shivana said and made the apprentices float around upside down, "there will be _no_ more fighting of that kind ever again. Got it?"

The two foxes were silent until Mistress Shivana grew tired of waiting for an answer and made the apprentices twirl around randomly as they circled her.

"Yeah! Okay I get it!" Fox said when his stomach threatened to divulge its minimal contents onto the ceiling, the wall, the floor or whatever surface he was facing when he threw up.

"Yes Mistress." Krystal said more calmly but was also starting to feel nauseous.

"Good." Mistress Shivana said and ended their twirling but kept them circling around the room. "Secondly, you will both get along with each other. I don't care if you hate each other, love each other or want to feed the other to a rancor, you will both get along with each other!"

"Yes Mistress." Fox and Krystal said quickly so to avoid the twirling punishment.

"Lastly, I really like you both; you're both great kids and apprentices but if you misbehave I won't shy away from my most extreme form of discipline." Mistress Shivana said softly but both kits could feel the threat's power hiding in the soft tone.

"What's your most extreme discipline?" Fox said when he had enough courage to ask.

The golden eyed she-wolf smiled a bit. "I'm glad you asked." She said and let the apprentices down on the same wall. "Sit." She said and the two kits looked at each other then back to her.

"But Mistress there's nothing to sit on." Krystal said.

"I know, sit." Mistress Shivana said.

"Um… okay." Fox said when he figured it out. The vulpine leaned up against the wall and bent his knees like he was sitting and immediately he shot back up. "Oh God that's rough."

"Sit." Mistress Shivana repeated.

"What!" Fox replied.

"For one whole minute perform a wall sit. If you break the sit you will get up and start over, if you inch up you'll start over. Sit." She repeated.

Fox and Krystal did as they were told and performed the wall sit. Not even ten seconds in they were already exhausted. Their legs felt like they were on fire and both their muzzles were curled back from the pain. Seconds felt like hours as the punishment went on and on, Fox almost stood back up but he lost practically all voluntary movement with his legs. Finally, after the sixty seconds was up the vulpine and vixen were allowed to stand back up but neither could.

"There, now imagine doing that for two minutes." Mistress Shivana said as the two kits panted heavily and beads of sweat crept down their fur. "I don't believe in push ups, I don't believe in laps. If one of you disobeys the rules you'll both do a wall sit and depending on the extremity of the offense, you'll do a longer wall sit. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-…. Yes mistress." Fox and Krystal panted.

"Great!" Shivana said and suddenly changed from slightly moody to absolute perky in a heartbeat. "Have a good night children, your training starts tomorrow." Shivana said and walked out of the kits' room with a near invisible skip in her step.

"That… sucked." Fox panted.

"Yeah." Krystal replied. "Fox… why did you do that?" Krystal asked and for the first time her voice resounded the pain within her. Fox looked at the vixen but the slightly drooped ears, sad eyes and twitching nose crushed him. He looked away and stood up but fell back down; his legs were still recovering from that ghastly wall sit.

"I don't know Krystal… I'm sorry." Fox replied as he stared sadly at the floor.

"What's wrong Fox? I know something is wrong, I can feel it within you." Krystal said and inched closer to Fox.

"What's wrong with you? Normally _you_ don't even acknowledge me existence! But now that just because you think I'm a little different now, you think you can play friends? Back off and let me deal with my own shit!" Fox growled and forced himself to stand. He couldn't bear to be next to Krystal anymore. Who did she think she was playing with his head like this? There wasn't anything wrong with him. He had a few scars but his fur would cover those soon and things would go back the way they used to be.

"Very well." Krystal said and stood up. When she reached her feet Fox was already in bed, his covers over him and his lamp turned off which made his side of the room dark while Krystal's lamp made her side bright. The vixen side and walked towards her bed and got under the covers.

~X~X~X~X~

The two Fox's stared at each other. In their hands two Lightsabers hummed, one held Lightsabers as blue as the bottom of a flame while the other held Lightsabers as red as blood. All around the two kits shadows and light fought for dominance and slowly, the light was being pushed back. As the light was pushed back the Fox with blue Lightsabers began to fade. The Lightsabers that were once a deep blue started to wane and glaze over like a dead eye. As the good Fox slowly disappeared the evil one simply watched with an evil smile on his face.

"Wake up." Someone said and shook Fox awake. One of Fox's saggy eyes opened a crack. He had been up all night tossing and turning until finally he managed to get to sleep, unfortunately it was only for a few hours. The vulpine made a low noise in his throat and attempted to bury his face deeper under his pillow but the person was tenacious. "Wake up Fox!"

"No. Go away." Fox groaned and curled up into a ball.

"Fox, wake up! It's a beautiful day in space to begin your new training!" Shivana said and shook Fox even more.

Fox started to growl and bared his fangs under his pillow. "Leave me alone, I want to sleep! _FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!_"

Mistress Shivana took a step back and sighed. "Alright Fox, if you want to sleep the day away and let Krystal get that much more ahead of you then feel free to lay in bed all day."

Fox groaned but eventually his head slithered out from underneath the pillow and his body slinked out of bed. He looked like an absolute train wreck, his fur was matted, unkempt, his eyes were baggy and couldn't open them more than a crack, his tail hung like deadweight and his ears were drooped as low as they could go without falling off.

"Rough night?" Mistress Shivana asked.

"Had worse." Fox grumbled and moved towards the bathroom.

"Well, get ready and be out in twenty minutes." Mistress Shivana said as she watched the vulpine trudge to the bathroom. She felt inclined to ask why he had such a rough night but she figured it was just because he left his family again. Besides, if he wanted to talk, she'd be there if needed. When the bathroom door closed behind Fox the arctic wolf left the empty bedroom.

"Gross." Fox said when he caught his reflection. The vulpine wiped some of the eye boogies out of his eyes as he walked toward the shower. A nice scalding hot shower did wonders and he really needed a wonder now. Fox cranked up the hot water and lifted the cold water just high enough so the water wouldn't boil him alive. The vulpine took a step inside and remembered that he had forgotten to disrobe before getting in the shower.

~X~X~X~X~

"Where is he? It's already been thirty minutes." Krystal growled as she drew and sheathed her claws.

"Have patience Krystal, he's on his way." Master Vane said reassuringly while Krystal began to pace around the room blindly.

"I _hate_ waiting for him!" The blue vixen growled. "If Mistress Shivana hadn't woken him up he'd still be sleeping!" Krystal said right as Fox walked in through the door. "Speak of the devil. You're late!" Krystal snapped.

"Sorry, I got a little, lost." Fox said as he paced into the large open room. The entire room was bare save the four inhabitants and the large case next to Mistress Shivana. The case itself was nothing out of the ordinary but Fox still felt something odd when he looked at the box. For some reason he got the feeling he wasn't going to like the box, nor its contents.

"Now that you're here Fox we can begin, and since you weren't on time you'll be the first to go." Vane said in his normal, emotionless voice.

"Alright." Fox replied and remained a few feet from Vane and the others. "What do you have planned?"

"I'm glad you asked Fox." Shivana said and kicked the case making in open down the middle. Immediately six red floating spheres about the size of basketballs flew out, and four yellow, softball sized spheres flew out. "You better arm yourself." Shivana said as she, Vane and Krystal stepped back.

Fox cocked an eyebrow and quickly reached for only one of his Lightsabers. He had a lot more experience fighting with only one Lightsaber than two and he didn't want Krystal to know just yet. His blue Lightsaber hummed and just as he activated it he quickly moved to deflect a laser bolt that went straight for his eye. No sooner did he block that laser he was hard pressed to block two more. He had spent several dozen hours practicing against these kinds of machines and all he had to do was stick and remember all that he had learned. Within seconds Fox began to fall back and lose ground but he managed to hold off the red training spheres. Every laser that he couldn't deflect he managed to just barely dodge. Luckily for him, all the training spheres attacked one after the other so it wasn't like he had to defend against them all at once.

Fox swung to deflect another laser when out of no where something hit him in the leg and caused him to fall down to his knees in pain, and the other laser nailed him right in the torso. Fox fell back and rolled to avoid any other attacks but when he quickly got to his feet and into the Shii-cho stance he found that the spheres were no longer moving to hurt him.

"Two minutes." Vane said "Fox you're done; Krystal, your turn."

Fox growled in his throat because of his frustration but obeyed. Krystal and Fox passed by each other.

"You did well Fox." Krystal whispered but Fox was deaf to her praise.

When Fox was by Vane and Shivana, Krystal took out her Lightsaber. No sooner had she, the lasers started their attack. Krystal held her ground and like Fox, kept herself from being hit. She was a lot more adept in keeping the lasers from hitting her, her motions and swings were all graceful and swift. Fox ground his teeth as he realized how far behind he was, he was no where near her skill as of yet. While she performed elaborate deflections he only just managed to swing in time.

"Ah!" Krystal shouted when she got hit from nowhere. Fox's ears perked and his muzzle dropped in surprise. Where did that attack come from? She was doing so well against all the training spheres but somehow one of them got her without him seeing it.

"Six minutes." Vane said. "All right both of you, what killed you?"

"I don't know." Krystal said and breathed heavily. She wasn't panting quite yet but her blood was pumping fast.

"And you Fox?" Shivana asked.

"I don't know either, whatever hit me got me in my blind spot-"

"Precisely. This was a training exercise to defend your blind spots. Krystal you did admirably well against the training spheres, and Fox, you're learning fast."

"Now both of you, ready yourselves." Shivana said much to the apprentice's surprises.

"Wait, what? We're going to go at the same time?" Fox blurted out.

"It is necessary that you both learn not only to defend yourself, but to defend your partners. Since you will be training together we won't have difficulty setting these kinds of training exercises. Now the both of you, assume your places." Vane said and Fox walked over to Krystal with his Lightsaber in hand.

"I'll watch your back if you got mine." Fox grunted and switched his Lightsaber on.

"Are you sure you can handle watching my back?" Krystal asked.

"I'll do my best." Fox said as three of the red spheres twitched around him in his line of sight.

"Then I'll cover yours with the best of my abilities." Krystal said and switched on both halves of her Lightsaber.

"Begin." Vane said unleashing Hell upon the young fox kits. No sooner did he say begin did the spheres rain down blaster shots on them. Krystal quickly took a few steps toward her spheres allowing herself more room to defend against all the laser bolts while Fox held his ground. He twisted himself, swung his Lightsaber in every direction and held the spheres at bay. The kits lasted longer then Fox did against himself and now they were aware that something was hiding somewhere to get them when they least expected.

Five minutes passed and Fox was panting. As hard as he tried he was now losing ground and backing up towards Krystal. Krystal sensed his approach and started driving her spheres back when suddenly she felt something. Without thinking Krystal jumped back and deflected a laser bolt that came from no where and nearly hit Fox in the face. This move however left Krystal on the floor and exposed.

"Shit!" Fox shouted and reached for his second Lightsaber. With his left arm he held Krystal's spheres and with his right he held his own. His head darted back and forth as he repelled a laser from one side and then from another. The vulpine had no time to think, he only listened to that voice in his head. It was quiet but everything it told him, everything it willed him to do he did and it paid off. As Krystal got back to her feet he let her take back her spheres and returned back to his own.

"Stop." Vane said and immediately the spheres stopped their attack. Both the kits were panting and their arms burned with exhaustion.

"That was great children, absolutely fantastic!" Shivana said ecstatically.

"Indeed. You both may fight a lot betwixt each other but you both work together extremely well." Vane commented. "Fox you failed to cover your blind spot but Krystal saved you from death and in so doing you saved her while she recovered. Both of you did well."

"Thank you Master." Krystal said with a respectful bow. Fox didn't reply with a response or a bow.

"Take five minutes to recover and talk." Vane said and he and Shivana stepped back to let the kits be and to discuss things amongst themselves.

"Hey." Krystal said as she walked up to Fox. "Thanks for covering me."

"There out there somewhere." Fox said ignoring Krystal's thanks. "I figure as long as we cover the other they won't get us."

"Oh, okay." Krystal said a little hurt that Fox didn't return the praise. Maybe this was how he felt when she treated him like this she wondered.

"They're like snipers; the red orbs keep us distracted, pinned down and wait for us to be most vulnerable. The yellow orbs bide their time, wait for us to get separated and then they strike." Fox said out loud.

"Then we shouldn't get too far away from each other." Krystal said.

"Agreed." Fox said and twirled his Lightsabers in his hands.

"Begin." Vane said.

~X~X~X~X~

"You did well children. You both work well together and your skills have greatly improved Fox." Vane said once several hours of intense training had passed by. Fox and Krystal were covered in sweat and a few scrapes, their bodies hurt in several places from the lasers they failed to deflect, and they could hardly keep standing.

"Get some rest you two, Master Vane and I will have another training exercise for you tomorrow." Shivana said dismissing the two kits. Krystal bowed respectfully while Fox just walked off. Krystal was quick to catch up to him and talk.

"Fox, I must say you are getting, better. Not very many progress as rapidly as you have and not many can watch their own back and their partner's at the same time." Krystal said but then added. "You still have a ways to go however."

"Always an edge to everything you say, isn't there?" Fox growled. "Can't just give a damn compliment and let it sit, can you?"

Krystal blinked from the sudden force coming from Fox's voice. "I only meant that-"

"Spare me." Fox growled and strode off by himself. Krystal watched him go and was not sure whether she was angry or sad the way he left. On one hand she was angry at him for lashing out and on the other she was hurt by what he did. She only meant to compliment him but not burden him with thoughts that he was perfect. Constructive criticism was all she tried to do.

~X~X~X~X~

'That fucking bitch! Who the Hell does she think she is? Always has to give me crap and can't pull the fucking Lightsaber out of her ass long enough to mellow out for more than five minutes!' Fox thought darkly to himself as he walked aimlessly through the ship. He passed by people but they took no notice of him and he took no notice of them. He was so caught up in his personal Krystal hating that the outside world had all but disappeared.

'What I wouldn't give to just show her up once! Sure I saved her from those lasers but… she saved me first.' Fox thought realizing what had transpired during their training. When they trained it wasn't a competition, he was watching her back and he was watching hers. They would both go to great lengths to protect the others, lengths that put themselves in danger. Krystal didn't even give Fox any crap when he failed to protect her. She just said he'd get it next time.

'Guess I'm the asshole this time.' Fox thought as he realized it was fact. The vulpine sighed and found himself at the kitchen. Suddenly the world came back to him and he smelt the delicious aromas around him, the numerous people trying to make light of their current predicament, the children running around playing, their mothers chasing and scolding after them, the ship's crew setting up tables for a banquet dinner tonight.

With swift stealth, Fox snuck into the kitchen but nearly tripped an iguana carrying a sizable amount of plates. Fox ducked out of his way and looked around and saw all the people hard at work cooking tonight's meal and then found his target. The sneaky vulpine then strode casually towards his objective, not letting on his intentions. Once he reached the dessert tray Fox walked past it but as he did he swiped a chocolate doughnut. He quickly hid it up the sleeve of his flight jacket and when it was secure he did it again.

~X~X~X~X~

"Hey Krystal." Fox said barging into the door.

"Fox!" Krystal said and quickly put her shirt back down on her stomach. The vixen burned red with rage and embarrassment while Fox just stared at her.

"Did I interrupt something?" Fox asked.

"No, you… I was about to take a shower in the bathroom." Krystal said with flared ears then walked over to her bed and collected her clothes. Without another word Krystal stormed into the bathroom (which was on her side of the room) and closed the door behind her.

Fox bit his lips slightly. She was pissed off and rightly so. She wasn't going to take very long, Fox knew that but he was really tired now, he just hocked dessert for two and then an entire meal. He could have waited but swiping it was half the fun Fox found. With a tired yawn Fox walked over to Krystal's bed and placed the chocolate doughnut on a napkin on her pillow. From there Fox went to his own bed, crawled under the sheets, turned off his light and then buried his head under his pillow, not wanting to see any light anymore.

The clean vixen came out of the bathroom ten minutes later. She saw Fox in his bed and growled in her throat a bit, and then she saw the pastry. For a second Krystal thought he might have thrown it at her bed but then she saw the napkin underneath it. He deliberately put it there, but why? Her first thought was that he poisoned it but where would he get poison? Still, he could have put other things in it. Krystal approached the doughnut like it could explode any second then sniffed it. It didn't smell bad so she picked it up and observed it. No signs that he licked, put something on it, filled it with or did something to it so she licked the brown stuff on top, of which she had no idea what it was until now.

"Oh my God." Krystal whispered and savored the chocolate. It was by far the most delicious thing she had ever tasted in her young life. Once the chocolate taste became stale she took a bite. Slowly she ate around the doughnut until finally she got to the center where she found the cream filling. "Oh my _God!_" Krystal moaned.

The doughnut didn't last long after that and the vixen was soon licking her hands for the last traces of it. Once she was done Krystal looked over at Fox. He was fast asleep and had knocked his pillow off him in a sudden jerk because of his nightmare. On autopilot Krystal walked over to Fox. When she was standing over him she saw the distress on his face from his dreaming. The vixen drew in to Fox's face and her heart began to race like a hummingbird's wings. She felt so alive as she kissed him on the cheek she was almost tempted to actually kiss him. Fox seemed to have enjoyed it to because when she pulled away she could see a great improvement on his face and could almost see a faint smile on Fox's face.

"Good night Fox." Krystal said and walked back to her bed with these strange, alien feelings flying all around her head.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys what's up? So yeah, Fox is kind of moody now, not a lot but enough to be an ass. Still though he realized his mistake and did the best he could to make up for it which resulted in that little bit of warm, fuzzy fluff. But how long can he last until he slips and falls into a darker hole? Just remember though, Fox and Krystal are preteen right now, so it wasn't like Fox walked in on Krystal nearly showing her breasts. Krystal's eight, she doesn't have them yet. Anyways I hope you enjoyed, this was a fun and easy chapter to write, hence its fast update. Have a good one!**_


	14. Storm

"_We're almost there but I wish we'd never reach Papetoon, I'm learning so much under Master Vane's and Mistress Shivana's guidance. My skills and abilities have gotten a lot better over the last week, but so has Krystal's. She can survive the laser training almost fifteen minutes now and I can make it only five. There's something I'm missing, I hear a voice but it's hard to listen to. I don't know, maybe I'll ask Vane about it later."_

Fox almost put the audio recorder down but something didn't let his hand release it. A little feeling nagged at him from the back of his brain, telling him, urging him to add one final tidbit. Fox sighed and pressed record again.

'_Lately I've been getting this feeling like… like something big is going to happen. I'm still having nightmares and every time I wake up and go back to sleep I forget. So I "found" a notepad and a pencil so I could jot down everything I remember when I first wake up. Most of them I think are about me becoming… something, something dark. Yet the other dreams are about other people suffering, dying. There are other people, people in black and red uniforms slaying normal people. I think the Sith are going to do something terrible.'_

Fox finally managed to put the audio recorder down now that the feeling was satisfied. The vulpine quickly stuffed the audio recorder back under his clothes in his case next to the picture of his mother witch he had begun staring at for hours while Krystal slept the night happily away. His mother was so beautiful, he missed her so much and something else nagged at him. It told him to feel angry for her death, to never forgive the cause for what happened to her. Fox made in his head a promise, someday, if the true cause of his mother's death was ever revealed to him he'd kill who or whatever was responsible.

Once the audio recorder was secured and his mother's picture properly stored to prevent damage to it, Fox covered them both and closed his case. Fox pushed his case under his bed just as Krystal walked in through the door making Fox immediately grab his Lightsabers.

"Calm down Fox, it's just me." Krystal said softly as she walked into the room. She looked perky and her robes and tail fluttered behind her as she almost pranced into the room. Fox choked down a scowl at her. "Fox guess what we're going to do when we reach Papetoon!" Krystal said happily much to Fox's surprise and against Krystal's common character.

"What?" Fox growled not wanting to play any games at the moment.

"Master Vane is going to teach us to fight with Lightsabers!" Krystal nearly shouted. "He's the greatest Jedi Guardian in over a hundred years and he's going to train _us!_"

"Hasn't he _been _training us?" Fox scowled but Krystal was on cloud nine.

"I've been waiting, wishing for this day to arrive and now it has finally come!" Krystal squealed and jumped around happily. Fox watched her but couldn't believe his eyes. Krystal never acted childish; she always had poise, a sense of elegance and regality about her. As she careened off, running, jumping and acting wild, Fox just shrugged and covered himself with his sheets.

~X~X~X~X~

'What does this mean?' Fox thought to himself as he sat on his bed, staring at the strange symbol he drew. He never saw the symbol in his life but somehow the running fox with wings looked so familiar.

"Come on Fox, let's go!" Krystal said and ran out of the room. Fox groaned and followed her but as he did he noticed the people talking about her.

"Another Jedi. Honestly, do they multiply overnight?"

"Cute little thing, hope she stays that way."

"What do you mean?"

"You know those Jedi, easily lured to the Sith."

'Krystal is probably the last person you have to worry about becoming a Sith.' Fox thought to himself and followed after her. Unlike Krystal, he wore normal clothes because the Padawan robes made him feel like such a tool. They were all the same and had no originality to them. Fox walked leisurely towards the training room that Master Vane had managed to persuade the captain of the ship to let them use. The people on the ship seemed to be taking the delay in stride and only a few bitched about it.

"There you are Fox." Master Vane said as Fox walked through the door to the training room. "Eat quickly; this is the last thing you get until we reach Papetoon." Vane said and gestured to a small table with food enough for two. Krystal was already nibbling on a bit of bread and butter and Fox moved to join her. He sat at the chair opposite of the vixen and started eating. He took half of everything, the eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice and oatmeal. It was a nice breakfast but Fox knew he could have stolen something much tastier from the kitchen. The cooks and waiters were getting extremely aggravated because of their disappearing food but they never noticed or caught him so for all they knew it was rats.

The two kits ate in silence and refrained from making eye contact. Krystal was in the mood to idly chat and talk about today's strategies but Fox wasn't in the mood. He kept thinking about what those people said, about how Jedi are easily lured to the Sith. It was true that Andross was gaining followers, most of them were common thugs, criminals and mercenaries but Jedi were also falling to the dark side. Was it so easy to fall? People who have trained since they could remember to resist temptation fall by the dozen daily. Was all this training for naught then? Would he also fall to the dark side as easily as them? Fox hoped not but he already knew a very powerful dark side power and he learned it before he learned any other powers. Maybe though the dark side wasn't the right path for him and neither was the good path right for him. Perhaps something in the middle? Something neither good nor evil, a mixture of both. The only thing Fox could think of that resembled that were mercenaries. They were just one peg above Sith. Nobody liked mercenaries; they were considered trustless, greedy, war profiteers. Still, the chancellor has often used the aid of mercenaries and managed to stay popular by saying that it is better to lose the lives of scum then heroes.

"Ready Fox?" Krystal asked and offered a hand up to help him up out of his chair. Fox took it but didn't appreciate it. He could have gotten up easily and he didn't need her help. The only reason he took it was because he didn't want to aggravate Krystal before they did a training exercise that required teamwork.

"Let's do this." Fox said and activated his Lightsabers. Krystal did likewise and immediately they were attacked by the training spheres. Fox was already off to a bad start, he only just managed to get his Lightsabers to deflect the lasers and that was because of reflex. Krystal sensed his plight but there was nothing she could do. If she moved to his assistance then she'd make herself open to an attack but then if she didn't help him she'd lose him for sure. Krystal struggled to keep calm as she weighed her options. Every second she waited Fox came closer to being "killed."

'What do I do? What do I do?' Krystal thought to herself desperately.

Just as Krystal was about to leap to Fox's aid the laser spheres stopped. Krystal took a chance and looked at Fox but he seemed alright and as confused as her.

"Apprentices, go get your things, we've arrived at Papetoon." Vane said and the spheres floated harmlessly back to their case.

Krystal looked at Fox and he looked to her. "Come on then." Fox grunted and started towards their room. Krystal followed him but wondered why he was being like this. Usually Fox was so perky, so energetic but the longer she stared at him while she followed him, the more she felt like he was slipping away from her with every step.

"Fox, why don't you wear the Jedi apprentice robes?" Krystal asked. Fox just shrugged and walked a little faster. Krystal upped her pace but had to nearly jog because of Fox's long legs.

"Cause they're dumb, come on, we got to get our stuff." Fox said and picked up the pace even more. All around them people were hurrying to get their things. It seemed stupid to Fox that they didn't prepare before hand. He had an excuse however, he was training with Krystal and his masters, and he had no idea when they were going to arrive.

"That everything you got?" Krystal asked once they were back inside their shared room and had collected all their things. Fox grunted in response and closed his trunk after making sure his audio recorder and the picture of his mother was still in his trunk. The vulpine lifted his briefcase with ease, all he had was some clothes, the audio recorder and picture in his trunk, but when he looked over to Krystal he saw her struggling with hers. She struggled last time with it but she didn't carry it very far.

"Need help with that?" Fox asked as Krystal strained to keep her case from touching the ground.

"No, no I'm fine- hey! Give it back!" Krystal snapped when Fox strode over to her and snatched her case out of her hands.

Fox started walking off but Krystal stood in front of the door, her hands on her Lightsaber, her eyes glaring into his. "What are you-"

"Give me my case back." Krystal breathed. She wasn't talking anymore, she had become so enraged that all tone, pitch and accent had disappeared and as she exhaled she talked. "Master Vane told me not to hurt you anymore but I won't tolerate you taking my case."

Fox put the cases down and in a flash he drew his Lightsabers and ignited them. The two kits glared at each other as the air around them froze and the electricity conducted through it. Neither one was going to back down, one would fall this time.

"You better put those away," Krystal said and ignited her Lightsaber, "unless you _want_ to get hurt."

"Let's see you try!" Fox snapped and struck first. Fox swung at the blue vixen's head but she jumped clear over him and landed behind him. Fox ignored the seemingly impossibility that just happened and swung again. This time Krystal blocked the Lightsaber and the two blades clashed together hissing and spitting.

Krystal tried to push Fox back and into the wall but he was stronger than her, much stronger and he shoved her back from the gridlock. The vixen took a few steps back and activated the other side of her Lightsaber before twirling it around.

"You're going down!" Fox shouted before rushing Krystal. Fox threw everything he had at Krystal but when he trained solo Krystal had been watching him closely, studying him, searching for a weakness and examining his form. She had most of it memorized and knew how to combat his fierce yet wild fighting style but for the parts she didn't know, he left to instinct.

Fox had no time to think; as he hammered away at her, he was solely focused on the fight and listening to his instincts. He parried, slashed, cut and swung at her but nothing managed to get through. Finally Fox exposed the major blind spot in his form. When he attacked from Krystal's legs she jumped over the blade and before Fox could do anything she kicked him with both of her legs. The vulpine yipped and flew back into the hard metal wall. He was winded; he dropped her Lightsabers and could scarcely move. Krystal beat him again.

Krystal grinned evilly and stalked over to her prey. The vulpine rolled over and she glared into his hurt and fearful eyes. She stepped on his chest causing Fox to cry out in pain. Krystal growled angrily and happily as she started crushing Fox's chest. The vulpine soon couldn't get any air to his lungs and try as hard as he could, he couldn't move Krystal's leg. Their eyes met, Fox was no longer defiant, he knew he was going to die and stared up at Krystal waiting for it.

"Oh my God!" Krystal gasped and stepped off of Fox's chest allowing him to breathe. The vixen stepped back in utter shock. She tried to fathom what she had just done, all of the lessons she had learned came flooding back and she broke down into tears. "Fox, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." She sobbed and fell to her knees. Fox coughed violently as he sat up and Krystal hated herself for it. When he fell back down Krystal quickly rushed to his side and supported him.

"What… are you-" Fox said as Krystal ran her hand up and down his chest making it feel better somehow. Fox never understood how she did it but Krystal was a remarkable healer and had fixed him up more than once. After a few minutes, Fox's chest no longer hurt but Krystal still held him.

"I'm sorry Fox, I lost control again." Krystal whispered as she trembled uncontrollably.

Fox coughed again and said calmly. "What do you have in the case? I know you Krystal, you wouldn't freak out unless you have something to hide."

"Just things, things from my home." Krystal replied and stroked Fox's head. "I'm really sorry Fox, I understand if you're mad and will tell Master Vane about this."

The vulpine shook his head. "Nah, I forgive you." Fox said blushing red as he realized where he was. Krystal was actually holding him in such a way that seemed impossible for her to do because of how uptight she always was. For a moment Fox forgot what had just happened and just enjoyed the warm, fuzzy feelings both physical and emotional. She was so soft it was unbelievable and even though she was only eight and he was eleven, he wanted to be with her always.

Krystal's own mind became clouded with the same fuzzy warm feeling. The feeling was similar to what she felt for her parents but it was vaguer but deeper. The vixen's heart began to beat ant an increasing rate and she quickly pulled away. "I'm sorry for hurting you Fox." She said and stood up.

"Don't worry about it, we're still friends." Fox said and he too got up but didn't want to. Forget the whole universe, all he wanted to do was lay there next to her until the end. "As long as you show me what's in the case." Fox added last minute.

"What!" Krystal gasped and looked at Fox like he was holding a gun on her. Fox smiled slyly. "But, I… you won't-"

"I'll show you what I hide in mine then. Come one, I won't judge." Fox cooed.

Krystal sighed. "All... alright. But you have to promise me you'll be extra careful." Fox nodded energetically and Krystal moved to her case and opened it. Fox's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Holy crap! Where did you get these?" Fox asked drinking in all the case's contents with his eyes.

Krystal blushed feverously. "From my home world Cerinia."

"Wow, this stuff is amazing!" Fox said picking up Krystal's breastplate. "What is it?"

"It's armor for my chest." Krystal said and swiped it out of his hands.

"Have you ever worn it before? It was pretty heavy."

Krystal shook her head. "No, it's ceremonial armor. I'm to wear it the day I become a woman and given a mate." Krystal said but Fox only half heard her. He was so intrigued by the deep detail to the armor, the incredible craftsmanship and the size of the breastplate. It looked like it was made for someone with a rack bigger than his head which gave Fox lewd ideas that he banished to the back of his mind as quickly as he could.

"Is this all of it or did you forget the rest back home?" Fox asked when he found only a pair of sandals, shoulder pads, a loincloth and a few braces that seemed to go on the tail.

"No this is all of it." Krystal admitted and stayed out of Fox's head when she saw him turn beat red.

"Oh." He said nearly having a spontaneous nosebleed and then shook his head, shaking all the perverse thoughts of women looking just like Krystal, only older, wearing only the ceremonial dress. "This is some amazing stuff Krystal; I can see why you didn't want me carrying your case. What if I lost it? What if I dropped it and it got sucked out into space?"

"Yeah… that's still no excuse for what I did to you." Krystal growled more at herself then to Fox.

"Krystal…" Fox said as he placed his hand on the vixen's shoulder and caught her eyes. "You may not think so but… I feel like I know you better than I should. We've been peers for just a few days but lately… it's strange… forget it." Fox said trying to end the conversation but Krystal pursued it. She had to know why Fox seemed to feel like he knew her better than he ought to.

"Go on Fox, I won't laugh." Krystal said placing her own hand on Fox's shoulder before he could pull away. Their eyes met again and through the force, which was known to them both but not fully understood, they both spoke through their eyes.

"When I'm around you I feel as if everything you do speaks to me. Your stance, your walk, your emotions, the tone of your voice and the beauty in your eyes all tell me more and more about you." Fox blurted out without any feelings of embarrassment or shame. "When you and I fight together, I can almost feel what you're going to do. I love listening to you this way, even if I seem like I don't enjoy having you around."

Fox looked away blushing when he saw the pink under Krystal's blue fur. She almost had a shocked blank look on her face. Krystal knew exactly why he felt everything he felt but it spoke to her and warmed her in a catacomb in her heart that she never knew had existed. She felt light and her heart was either giving out or fluttering like it had wings on purpose.

"That's so… expected." Krystal said, stopping herself from saying sweet. "We have a Force bond now Fox. Whether we like it or not we are connected through something far greater and stronger than both of us combined. We'll feel things not many others have ever known and we'll certainly never be free of our connection."

Fox smiled. "I… kind of like that." He said slowly beckoning in as Krystal did. Their gazes melted into the other's eyes as they drew in closer to the other. Finally, when they were less than an inch away their eyes closed and their door opened causing them both to fall back.

"Oh! Sorry about that, I was just uh- are you both alright? I heard sounds like there was a war going on in there."

Fox cursed his rotten luck and looked up to see a pure white wolf standing over him. He looked about Fox's age only when Fox stood up (and helped Krystal up); he found that the wolf towered over him by at least six inches.

"Yeah we're fine. Just sparring." Fox said as the wolf's eyes darted to Krystal and back to Fox repeatedly.

"So wait… is she a Jedi?" The lupine asked.

"Yes I am." Krystal admitted even though it was blatantly obvious by her apprentice robes.

The white lupine seemed to light up like a star going supernova. "Wow! My name is Storm! It's a pleasure to meet you!" The lupine said offering Krystal a hand. Krystal looked to Fox, asking him with her eyes what she should do. Fox nodded and Krystal cautiously took the wolf's hand before he clamped down on it firmly with both hands and shook it vigorously.

"Charmed." Krystal said before the wolf gave her back her hand and just before she went on the offensive to get it back.

"Are you going to Papetoon on Jedi business?" Storm asked completely disheveling Fox and ostracizing him from the conversation much to his growing displeasure. Fox could already tell he didn't like the wolf; he was an extremely cheerful and energetic child that is very enthusiastic about everything Krystal. Krystal on the other hand, didn't mind the attention very much.

"Yes, I'm going there to complete my training." Krystal replied.

"Wow," Storm said and took a step back. "You must be a powerful Jedi to go to Papetoon!"

"Why? Is there something wrong with Papetoon?" Krystal asked curiously and started to walk off with Storm leaving Fox behind. Fox growled in his throat and followed behind the two.

"Well not really as long as you stay away from the mercenaries, Cath hounds and the various war veterans, which in my opinion are worse then the Cath hounds." Storm explained. "Society isn't nice to veterans and they aren't any nicer in return. But at least there aren't any Sith! It's even safer than Corneria because anyone can blend in what with all the people running around blocking your senses out."

"I see. Thank you for the warning. Are you traveling alone?" Krystal asked.

"No, I'm traveling with my… friend." Storm said strangely. "Well he's more of a guardian really. He keeps me around and teaches me things, skills, trades, and fighting techniques. We're on our way to visit one of his friends." The wolf said and served to raise Krystal's interest in him.

"Interesting. I'd like to see some of these techniques sometimes."

'Yeah I'd like to watch her wipe the floor with you, that is, after I get done with you.' Fox growled in his head but kept his brooding to himself.

"Well I'm sure I'm no match for you master Jedi." Storm said politely making Krystal giggle and tail swish around excitedly.

Fox's right eye twitched and people walking by could see the anger so evident in his face while Storm and Krystal were all but blind to him. They had forgotten him entirely and talked about fighting mostly. Apparently Storm had been training with his guardian for two years now and had already mastered several techniques of the Echani. Fox scoffed to himself since his Tae Kwon Do could easily beat most forms of the Echani. The Echani was a martial art that relied on speed, numbers and maneuverability. Fox tried to learn it from his uncle but he never did grasp it so he left it alone.

Still, the young vulpine studied the wolf and he realized that he wasn't fully white after all. There were jagged and almost lightning like in shape, patches of black fur that started from the base of his neck and Fox guessed, sprawled their way down his body. Other than that he wore strange clothes that Fox could tell were custom made and not some brand name clothes, probably knock offs Fox thought.

"Well I got to go." Storm said offering his hand, and this time Krystal took it without hesitation. "I'm glad I was able to meet you master Jedi."

"Same here." Krystal said before Storm walked off down another hallway while Krystal and Fox continued down the one they had been walking down since they left their room. Once he was gone Fox started up.

"Glad you're finally done talking to your boyfriend." Fox scowled in a deeply unpleasant mood.

The vixen stared at the vulpine and cocked an eyebrow. "Fox are you… are you jealous?"

"Jealous! ME! Jealous of that scrawny little, inbred, worm headed, Bantha kissing, Mynock licking, Nerf herding, mother grabbing, scum sucking, Gizka loving, dickless, pile of Rancor shit!" Fox exploded.

Krystal smiled slyly. "I'll take that as a yes."

"I am not jealous! Why would I be?" Fox growled.

"Because I spent so much time talking to him, rather than kissing you." Krystal said after reading his mind. Fox blushed furiously and refused to look her in the eyes. "Fox… I don't think we should share the same room anymore. I'm going to request to Master Vane that we be given separate boarding when we arrive at Papetoon." Krystal said suddenly and somewhat downheartedly but Fox didn't notice.

Fox's ears perked and he looked into her eyes. "What? Why?"

Krystal's ears laid back and her tail stopped swishing around. "Because of what we almost did. Jedi are forbidden to love and for other reasons that I can't tell you, I won't let us fall in love."

That struck Fox deeper than any other time she hurt him. No physical wound cleaved him this deeply. The crushed vulpine sunk into a depression, his tail and ears became lifeless and drooped as low as they could, his eyes weren't wet but showed all the hurt he felt, and his voice cracked at random times.

"Is it because you don't want to, or you can't?" Fox asked even though it would only hurt him more to know, but he had to know.

"Both." Krystal answered and quickly sped off leaving Fox alone in his grief. He never wanted to be with anyone other than her. She was so amazing in every aspect and detail. They only just met, wanted to kill each other a multitude of times, and they fought almost every day, but he still wanted to be close to her. Fox always wondered why he wanted to be this close to her at all times and when he came up with nothing his mind reverted back to their Force bond. Maybe that was why he wanted to be with her at all times?

'If only that bastard didn't interrupt us! I could almost feel her lips against mine.' Fox thought angrily in his head causing his fur to bristle and stand. 'It's all his fault. He stopped us… I… I hate him! He will pay!' Fox concluded and dropped his case in the middle of the floor and stormed back the way he came. He didn't know where he was going; he never went to this part of the ship before, but something drove him towards his destination. Fox passed by a lot of people at first but the further he went back the fewer people there were until finally he was the only one in the shuttle's hallways. Fox took a left and started running down the hallway Storm had gone down. The enraged vulpine ran blindly but directly to his destination and before long he was starting to see people again.

"There you are." Fox growled to himself when he saw the tall for his age bastard. Fox stormed towards the lupine and before Storm had any time to respond Fox shoved him from behind causing Storm to fall down.

"What the?" Storm said and turned around on the ground. "You again? What do you want?" Storm asked, not entirely angry about being pushed to the ground.

"Get up and fight me." Fox growled baring his teeth. Storm cocked an eyebrow but stood up anyways. Before they could start, some foolish bystander tried to end it.

"Look kids, this isn't the time to start some petty-" The lynx said before Fox threw him against the wall just by lifting up his hand. Several people screamed, some went to check on him but the rest ran away.

"So you're a Jedi too huh?" Storm growled trying to stare down the unstoppable force emanating from Fox with his own unmovable resolve. "You know, I don't like people who abuse their powers." Storm said and reached into his strange clothes. "You should apologize before I make a mess of you." Storm said pulling out a Lightsaber hilt. Fox saw the hilt and noted the Lightsaber was thicker and longer than all the others he had seen. Not taking any risks, he pulled out both his Lightsabers.

"You gonna try and make me?" Fox asked igniting the blue and green blades.

"I'll do more than make you apologize when I get done." The wolf growled and rushed the vulpine. Fox quickly reflected the attack and yellow Lightsaber, sending the wolf on the defensive. Not since he fought Katt did he feel like he had such an advantage. The wolf was in all essence, terrible. His footwork was sloppy, his form abysmal and he could not even come close to hitting him. Eventually Fox managed to land a kick in the wolf's stomach and sent him flying back and onto the ground.

"Pathetic." Fox sneered. "I overestimated you, greatly."

The wolf growled and bared his fangs. "I've been taking it easy on you but now, I'll show you who's pathetic!" He roared and lifted his hands. Fox felt a tremor down his spine and dove to his left narrowly dodging a tempest of lightning. Fox rolled and kept himself up by holding himself steady with his left hand. Fox was amazed that he somehow managed to roll without burning himself but before he could figure out how, he was on the defensive. The wolf's skill seemed to improve drastically in seconds. Suddenly it wasn't like he was fighting Krystal only he was stronger than her, about as strong as him.

Fox and Storm swung at each other simultaneously making a gridlock between them. Fox and Storm pushed each other with all their might but neither could achieve dominance.

"You don't deserve to be a Jedi; attacking innocent people!" Storm scowled trying to throw Fox down to the ground. "You're supposed to use your powers for good not evil! Protect people from oppression not become it!"

Fox venomously glared at the wolf but couldn't come up with a comeback or anything to say in his defense. Everything he said was correct and each word struck Fox to the core. Even before he was a Jedi, he didn't just hurt people because it was convenient or out of anger, so why did he Force that man into the wall?

"Face it, you're no better than one of those murdering Sith!" Storm growled over the hissing and grinding of the sabers.

"Shut up." Fox growled but almost whispered. Anger began to seethe and then boil within his blood.

"Krystal, and all the other Jedi, are being brought down because of your evil-"

"SHUT UP!" Fox shouted.

The wolf blinked and in an instant Fox shoved him back. From there, Fox went into a frenzy swinging wildly and ferociously at the wolf. Storm could hardly keep up with Fox and quickly lost ground but managed to stave off Fox's attacks. But that only made the vulpine angrier. Storm took a few steps back to recover but Fox made a wild and reckless attack. Storm's eyes widened as Fox's green Lightsaber came rushing at him spinning rapidly like a helicopter's turbine. Storm ducked under it, the green blade nearly scorched his ears but that was the least of his problems. An extremely angry and a blood lusting vulpine hurled himself at the lupine. Storm groaned and dropped his Lightsaber before Fox began slamming his fists into his face. Blood began to jump after the fifth strike and as Fox pulled his arm back to deliver an eighth strike Storm kicked him off.

Somewhere Fox hit his head and was slightly dazed by it, allowing Storm to once again seize dominance in the fight. Storm jumped on top of Fox and landed a few blows before they started wrestling. It was a vicious match. They didn't refrain using underhanded blows and moves in their fight now and before long both lupine and vulpine were exhausted. Fox kicked the wolf back and for a while they panted on the ground.

"You... you're not… that bad… at fighting." Storm panted.

"Bite… me." Fox replied and was already trying to get back on his feet but collapsed under the weight of his exhaustion.

"Why… did you… attack… me?" Storm asked rolling his head over to put Fox in his line of sight.

"Because… you… are… a… cock block!" Fox snapped and then took a swing at Storm but it was a poor attempt.

"You mean… you and her… are-"

"No! Nothing… like that!" Fox growled, stopping Storm before he could say anything inappropriate. "Because… of you… she… doesn't want to be… around me anymore!"

"What?" Storm asked, completely lost to what Fox meant.

"If I had just kissed her… she wouldn't want… her own room!"

"That's still no reason," Storm said slowly getting to his feet, "to have hurt that guy!"

Fox was also now getting to his feet. "Shut up! I don't need lectures," Fox said as he reached his feet, "from some kid like you!"

"A kid like me?" Storm growled as he reached his feet and glared at Fox. "A kid with a sense of decency and good? That kind of kid? You're on a slippery slope to a path that you do not want to take! You fear losing her, you are angry because of this, and you hate me for it! This will only lead you to suffering." Storm said lifting his hands, ready to strike once more.

"Enough!" Fox roared and readied to strike. "Let's finish this!"

"Fine." Storm said and at once, they both rushed each other, their arms pulled back ready to punch the other back to the ground. They swung, their fists reached their faces and they both went back down, falling unconscious. Their fight was over.

A lone figure stepped out from behind the corner he had been hiding behind. Everyone that had seen the start of the fight had fled, even the lynx that Fox had Forced into the wall. He was reptilian and even the white metal mask that was merged his face didn't hide that.

"So, this is the power of Fox McCloud already? I wonder what his father will think of that." The man said as he descended upon the two unconscious fighters.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Oh boy, what has Fox gotten himself into now? Much thanks to Tempest of Reach for coming up with the character and bio of Storm. More will be revealed about him and another character Tempest came up with. By the way, when I write force, I mean any kind of force, but when I write Force, than that means **__**the**__** Force. Try reading Fox's rant out loud and try not to laugh. Oh one more thing, I didn't read this chapter over so there might be some mistakes but w/e it's four in the fucking morning right now as I post this. Anyways hope you enjoyed have a good one. PLACE YOUR BETS NOW!**_


	15. Bloodline

"_If anyone finds this, I've been kidnapped and I'm being held against my will. I'm a vulpine, ten years old and I-"_

"Crap I'm out of paper!" Fox groaned and then started swearing to himself.

"What are you writing anyway?"

Fox turned his head and glared at the wolf across from him. "None of your business! Just back off or I'll kick your ass again!"

Storm just rolled his eyes and dropped the issue. Technically they ended in a draw, and that was because he used Lightsabers and not the Echani martial art. If Storm had used that, there was no doubt in his mind he would have won because of his greater skill in hand-to-hand combat. While his Lightsaber skills were improving, he still had a ways to go before he was able to match the vulpine sitting across from him. Wait a minute, what was that vulpine's name anyway?

"Say, what is your name?" Storm asked Fox as the vulpine started looking around for a way out of the small, nine by nine room. Other than two little cots with flimsy sheets, there wasn't much to it, just two trays of food, one of them uneaten.

"What do you care?" Fox snapped and tried to doorknob again, like before, it was still locked. "Firefeken Rancor shit!" Fox swore and kicked the door with his heel, but to no avail. The door held strong. For a moment Fox considered frying the door with lightning, but if it caught fire, they'd be in trouble because of the smoke.

"How _does_ she put up with you?" Storm muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" Fox growled. Storm just shrugged. "Whatever! Help me find a way out of here!"

"What's the rush? I don't think that whoever has us is going to kill us. They did feed us after all."

"Probably poisoned." Fox grunted.

"I seem to be fine." Storm replied simply. "Just why you're so suspicious is beside me."

Fox's right eye twitched. This kid was _so, fucking, annoying._ How could someone be so pleasant, carefree, and cheerful when somebody, that neither of them knew, was holding them prisoner? Honestly, if this was the way Fox acted before, he now understood why Krystal had hated him so much.

"Well for one, whoever is holding us hasn't given us the good grace to show his or her rotten face. Second, I'm a Jedi apprentice, for all we know it could be the Sith. Third, and this part is my favorite, you ready for this?" Fox asked smiling goofily. "WE'RE BEING HELD HERE AGAINST OUR WILL!" Fox exploded.

"Alright, alright, no need to shout." Storm insisted.

Fox pinched the very top of his muzzle out of frustration. "I don't… I don't think you are getting this. We're, prisoners, you, stupid, moron!"

"Bah, I've been in dozens of situations, dozens of times worse than this, dozens of times." Storm said and smiled pleasantly.

'I'm going to murder him.' Fox thought and laid down on his bed.

There was a long while without noise from the two pups. Fox didn't want to talk to the white lupine while Storm was rather content without talking to a point. Finally he got bored enough to speak up and ask questions.

"So… what's your name?"

"Haven't we been down this road already?" Fox groaned. "Just keep your muzzle shut and leave me alone."

"Come on." Storm cajoled. "Come on; don't be acting like you have a stick up your ass. What's your name? Do you need a hug? You don't need to be so tightly laced. What's your-"

"FOX! Fox Sabbath! There, are you happy now?" Fox snapped.

"A little more so." Storm said nodding. "My name is Storm… how long have you been an apprentice?"

"A few weeks now." Fox sighed as he rubbed his temples in an effort to thwart off the headache that was massing in his skull. It wasn't working.

"Really? Usually it takes a long while to get as good as you are with a Lightsaber. I've been practicing for over two years now with my friend Arren. He's taught me everything I know."

"Even Force Lightning?" Fox asked back.

"Well…" Storm said, trailed off, but came right back. "No, he didn't, I sort of… learned that myself."

Fox cocked an eyebrow and stared at the strange lupine. "How?"

Storm shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I remember I was really angry when I did do it though. Back then I didn't know anything about the Force, nor of its existence."

'Strange, that's exactly how I learned how to use Force Lightning.' Fox thought to himself. A long pause grew between the two, much to Fox's relief. Unfortunately, Storm came up with more questions.

"So Fox, what's your master like? Does he or she train you well?" Strom asked just as Fox's headache was starting to alleviate.

"_They_ are both great teachers." Fox sighed.

"They? You have two teachers? Wow! You must be very in tuned with the Force to have two teachers! That only happens once in a great while!"

"Well I guess, but Krystal and I share them both." Fox said hoping there would be another reprieve from speaking again; there wasn't one.

"Wait, so you're both training together?" Storm asked, to which Fox nodded as an answer. "Has that ever been done before? Like in the whole history of the Jedi?" Storm asked, to which Fox shook his head. "Wow, just wow. I might have you figured out wrong… maybe. Still, attacking innocents is pretty unforgivable."

"God, will you just shut up already?" Fox snapped. "You're giving me a headache the size of a Battlecruiser!"

"Sorry." Storm said but didn't get the message that Fox did not want to talk. "Have you mastered the Shii-cho yet? I'm getting there, but I still have a ways to go."

"What are you anyway? A Jedi, a Sith? You seem to know a bit about both sides." Fox said trying to turn the topic off of him and onto the arctic wolf.

Storm mulled that over in his head for a whiled, giving Fox some much needed quiet time. "A well intentioned, impartial, mercenary in training." Storm finally answered.

"That was a mouthful… but you must be used to that kind of thing." Fox said under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Storm gave Fox a questioning look but continued on anyway. "I'm not a Jedi but I don't want to wreck havoc like a Sith. I'm also like a Sith because I use one of their techniques, like Force Lightning. Other than that I'm training to be a gun for hire, or more really, a Lightsaber for hire." Storm explained.

Fox's ears perked up and he caught interest in the lupine for the first time. "Really? What's that going to be like?"

Storm shrugged. "Good, as long as I'm good. I don't have to take just any job since I'm going to work for myself and myself alone. Since my options are made open and available, I'll be able to chose the jobs I want and will help people, rather then break their bones because they owe my employer money. Not to mention the soon to come war-"

"War? What war?" Fox interrupted.

Storm stared at Fox before answering. "You must know the war between Corneria and Venom? Well one day, and that day might happen tomorrow or years from now, Venom will push Corneria too far and war will break out. The Jedi will most likely flock to Corneria's aid to fend off the Sith soldiers and they'll need people with certain talents to do harder, more dangerous jobs. Arren says that's where the big bucks lie."

"So what about the Jedi Code?" Fox asked, now leaning off the edge of his bunk.

"I don't see any reason to follow it myself. If you ask me, the Jedi Code is all about making the followers stressed, especially the males." Storm replied. "Well you know how you aren't allowed to love or… do stuff?" Storm asked when Fox made a questioning look before. "If you ask me that's stupid. People need to coexist and mingle with each other, it builds social skills and levels people out making them less likely to defect and corrupt weak minded fools. Still, I admire people who cling to the Jedi Code so diligently, it shows they have willpower."

Fox's muzzle was hanging slightly as he drank all of Storm's words in. In some ways he was right, but what would replace the Code. When Fox asked, Storm just smiled.

"My own beliefs, ideals, and thoughts of what's right."

"Interesting." Fox said and contemplated Storm's idea. This was something he had been considering for a while now, a way to escape the Jedi's restrictions and the Sith corruption. Of course it all boiled down to him to walk the right path, but when didn't it? Just knowing the Jedi Code wasn't enough, he had to resist evil, temptation, vice and love. But if he followed Storm's idea, corruption was harder to be overcome by because the standards were lowered. Fox was half minded to just drop the Jedi completely and ask Storm if he could train with him and whoever trained him but something Master Vane told him lingered in his head.

"A Jedi's strength comes from the Force, clear, his mind always is and he listens to it faithfully and unquestioningly. If your mind becomes clouded with doubt, fear, anger, than you risk falling down the path to the dark side and once you start, forever it will dominate your life."

Fox had little to doubt, if he fell down he'd get back up, if he wasn't strong enough, he'd strive to get better. But the vulpine wore fear and anger like a cloak. He feared for his life, his uncle's and aunt's lives, he feared Krystal didn't like him and was only leading him on or using him. And he most certainly was angry, anger stemmed from him and he was always quick to a fight. If he followed Storm down his path it would become more likely he'd go down a path he didn't want. But then, what path did he want then?

"So… why _did_ you attack me?" Storm asked after he felt he had given Fox ample time to think things over.

"It's personal; let's just leave it at that." Fox said but forgot he already told Storm why he attacked him.

"How did I make Krystal hate you?" Storm asked making Fox vibrate his uvula in annoyance.

"I don't know okay? One second we were about to ki- well, we were being chums and then you barge in. After you left, she didn't want anything to do with me. She wanted a different room so we wouldn't get any… friendlier then we already are." Fox explained despite the awkwardness.

Storm smiled smugly to himself. "Sorry about that, I have that affect on the ladies." Storm said even more smugly then his look.

"Like _you _even have a chance with her!" Fox growled.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't see it! She couldn't get enough of me! All I had to do was play the old giddy, star struck routine and she was all over me. I have to say, she is really hot, even if she is a little young for me-"

Before Storm could finish Fox attacked. Storm was crossing line after line talking about Krystal like that. The vulpine didn't care how; he was going to make the lupine bleed. He hit, clawed, bit, and attacked Storm as fiercely as he could. Storm tried to put up a fight but only until the door opened and a stranger walked in, was he saved from Fox's wrath.

"Honestly, can't leave you alone for a second before you start fighting everyone."

"Sorry Ar- oh!" Storm said but stopped mid syllable to correct himself. "Sorry Fury."

Fox fought with all his might to escape the man's grasp, but the man had a death grip around the scruff of his flight jacket. The vulpine struggled, flailed, and kicked to get free, but it was all in vain.

"Stop struggling and sit down." The man growled and tossed Fox from Storm's bed to his own.

Fox bounced on his bed but when he leveled out he gave the masked man a very putrid glare. The man was reptilian with blue scales, he was tall and very slim making him look even taller, his mask was strange but that was probably because Fox was so used to Vane's smiling fox mask. The mask was a perfect meld of his face, a strange white metal that didn't jostle around or move in the slightest because it was imbued to the reptile's face, but Fox didn't know this.

"So you're Arren?" Fox growled.

Arren's shoulders slumped and he looked at Storm. "Damn it Storm! You know I don't like people knowing my name! Why'd you tell him?"

"He didn't, _you_ just did." Fox said before Storm could even open his muzzle. Storm sniggered but one glance from those orange eyes hiding behind the mask, and the lupine was silent.

"You are a clever one, aren't you?" Arren said and folded his arms. "But you're still a wild, reckless-"

"Skip the lecture; I've had this one many times over from many other people." Fox interrupted.

"Very well. Why did you attack my companion? Give me a good reason and I might let you live." Arren said reaching for one of the handles on his back. Fox instinctively reached for where his Lightsabers should have been, but wound up empty handed.

'That's all right, one wrong move from him and I'll fry his ass. Wait a second… shit, this is Storm's teacher! He must be adapt in the Force and will see it coming… still, not like I can do anything else really.' Fox thought to himself and kept his free hand open and his palm facing the reptile.

"Cause he's an annoying, interruptive ass." Fox replied defiantly.

"Hey!" Storm said from his bed but didn't do anything, not without Arren's permission.

"I don't like that tone." Arren said and pulled the blade on his back out a bit. "Last chance boy; don't think I won't kill you. I'm wanted on twelve systems."

"Why? Screw the senators' sons?" Fox sneered.

Even with the mask on, Fox could see the rage in Arren's face. Fox was about to launch a preemptive strike until Arren started to laugh, much to Storm's and Fox's surprise. Both Storm and Fox were so surprised and nervous, that they began to laugh nervously along with Arren. Finally, when Arren slowed down to light chuckling, did he speak.

"Oh Fox, your mother would have had a heart attack if she heard you say that." Arren sighed.

"What do you know about my mother!" Fox growled, instantly transfiguring from a nervous pup, to an enraged demon fox.

"Only she was as good a person as one could find. Your father on the other hand, he was a rouge from the beginning."

"You knew my father?" Fox asked curiously, still not letting the reigns of his anger go yet.

"Yeah I know him. On his good days he's a delightful person-"

"My father's alive?" Fox exhaled. "I always thought he was dead or something, hoped was more like it." Fox added under his breath.

"Would you like to see him?"

Fox blinked and thought he misheard. The question struck him to the quick and he wondered to himself, did he really want to see the man that was technically his father, or didn't he? At first Fox's answer shot straight to know, his father never did anything for him, never spoke to him, and certainly never was around any moment of his life. However, curiosity got the best of the cat, or in this case, the vulpine.

"Why? Does he want to see me or something?" Fox asked snidely.

"That's all he ever talks about actually. The moment I told him I found you, he nearly… well, let's just say I hadn't seen him so excited since you were born." Arren reassured.

Fox licked the back of his teeth questioningly. "How long have you known my parents? Who are you to them anyway?"

"Err, not too long. I was friends with your parents shortly before your mother gave birth to you. Your father was expelled from the Jedi once they found out about your mother's pregnancy with you, and after that we went around doing dangerous jobs for money. Jedi skills were in great demand back then, almost as much as they are today."

"My mother was a Je-"

"No not your mother." Arren interrupted. "Your father was a Jedi. Your mother was a bounty hunter- I'm not lying to you, she really was a bounty hunter. Back then she was known as the Demon Fox. In fact that was the whole reason your parents met, she was hired to kill your father but they wound up having you instead. Bit ironic really."

Fox didn't know whether to shout and scream at Arren, or shout and scream at his dead body. No body talked shit about his mother, and he refused to believe that his mother was a killer.

"My mother was not a murdering-"

"She never murdered, she always took her targets alive. Your parents' story is a long one, one that would take several hours to finish. So, back to the issue at hand, do you want to see your father?" Arren interrupted again. "Your father wishes to know your feelings about it."

"I don't- he…" Fox began as his throat ran dry. The vulpine sighed and clenched his fists. "Take me to him."

~X~X~X~X~

The trio walked down the metal hallway of what Fox guessed was a ship. Arren led the three while Storm pestered Fox the whole way.

"You're going to like your father Fox; he is like, the nicest guy ever. He once killed these three guys because they were trying to kill another guy. Well… he didn't really kill them, he sort of chased them and they sort of didn't see the drop off. Funny thing was, they were threatening the guy that they were going to drop him off the drop off, just before James stepped in." Storm laughed despite the gruesomeness of the topic.

"That's… great." Fox said aloud while thinking more and more about not seeing his father. Every story Storm told him wasn't giving his father "James," any father of the year award nominations.

"Another time, this lady was running from these three guys and he protected her. When they tried to fight him, he didn't even bust out a single Lightsaber, he just beat the Hell out of all four them with one hand! One of them went to the hospital and another bleed out but the lady was fine." Storm added quickly.

"I thought you said my father was a Jedi." Fox said to Arren.

"That he was." Arren replied as a blast door hissed open for the trio to pass.

"This man James doesn't seem like he's had very much Jedi training, running around killing people." Fox said bitterly.

"You're one to talk." Storm said under his breath.

Arren shook his head. "No, no he doesn't, does he? You see, ever since he left you two behind he hasn't been the same. He often told me that not having you both in his life made his existence hollow. Sometimes he'd overreact or act rashly."

"Still, _we're_ alive, and that's all that counts." Storm put in.

"Exactly." Arren laughed.

Despite their cheerfulness, Fox had his doubts about meeting his father now. Sure, he himself wasn't a saint, and he killed before but that hardly counted. The man Fox killed was a Sith and was trying to kill him and Fara. Then it struck Fox. When he killed it was in self defense and justified. Maybe he hadn't all the pieces to this puzzle.

"Those men my… _father,_" Fox said with difficulty, "killed, were they trying to kill him?"

"Oh absolutely! You'd be surprised how many people try to kill James on a monthly basis! The only reason he's seeing you is because we're over Papetoon, his home planet. Here he is revered as a war hero. Ah, we're here." Arren said when they reached the last door before Fox could ask what he meant by war hero. "This is as far as we go… have fun I guess. I don't know what to say in this situation."

'How bout don't get his blood all over the carpet?' Fox thought to himself.

His mind was split down the middle about this. One half wanted to meet the man who abandoned him and his mother for whatever reason, good or bad, and the other half wanted to leave this ship and its inhabitants light years behind. Still, there was no going back now. Fox opened the door and stepped into the bridge of the ship.

At first Fox's eyes were attracted to the various arrays of computers, lights, and machinery. But soon, his attention fell to the hooded man sitting in the captain's chair. Fox's throat seized with every silent step he took towards the chair where his father sat. The young vulpine was trembling with excitement, curiousness, and other vast ranges of feelings. Step by step, more and more of his father came into view until finally Fox could see a white muzzle poking out from behind the hood. Fox stopped when the man spoke.

"Hello Fox." The voice said, almost cracking at the end.

"Hello… fath-" Fox almost said but choked on the last word.

A long silence fell onto the two vulpines until finally, James spoke. "It's been a while. The last time I saw you, was when your mother gave birth to you… it's been too long."

"Maybe, or not long enough." Fox replied, not feeling the sentiments in the situation.

"You're angry I left you and your mother, Hell, I'd be as angry as you if _my_ father had run out on me. I understand."

"Oh do you?" Fox challenged.

"Yes, but not entirely. Your mind is strange to me, but familiar." James replied as Fox stayed rooted to his spot, never seeing more than his father's muzzle. If he had moved to face him, he'd have seen the tear of joy or sorrow, trailing down his right cheek. "You think like your mother used to think, everyone is out to get you and lie to you. Even your own father."

"If you can read my mind then you should know why I don't trust you." Fox growled in his throat, the fur on the back of his neck bristling with anger.

"I don't have to read your mind to know why you're angry at me Fox. I have been a terrible father, and not a day passes that I don't wish I was with you and your mother." James sighed and stood up. "But that union, alas, was impossible. There is a bounty on my head so great that you could buy a planet, and have enough to start a small city made out of gold."

"How did you manage that?" Fox asked and folded his arms while James kept his back to him.

"Charlie didn't tell you?" James asked, cocking his head towards Fox, his face still a mystery to the younger vulpine because it was cloaked under a shadow. "I guess Vane or Shivana wouldn't either… well Fox, I am the person held most responsible for the victory of the first Lylat War. I can hardly take a step outside without people hailing me, or people trying to shoot me. Vane and Shivana were my most trusted comrades, and without their help, I wouldn't have been able to kill Darth Necropolis."

"Master Vane said that he and Shivana killed Darth Necrophilia or whatever."

James chuckled before saying. "They did help, but I was the one that struck the final blow, thanks to them." There was another pause but James revived the conversation when he said. "Arren tells me you've already become strong. Not many apprentices or even Padawans can beat Storm but you did. You matched him step for step and finally wound up the victor. Vane has been training you well."

"He tries." Fox replied. "It's mainly Krystal that keeps me from falling behind though. Without her I would have been dropped, there's no doubt about it."

"Like Hell you would have been. If I had to, I'd barge in on a council meeting and even if Rand tried to throw me out! I'd show them reason or make them see reason from the bottom of my foot!"

"I take it you don't get along well with Rand." Fox pointed out.

James growled in his throat. "Let's just say we don't see eye to eye. But enough of that fool. I should take you back to Vane before you're missed. Wouldn't want Krystal going hysteric looking for you would we?"

"What makes you think she would?" Fox asked.

"Storm told me about you two." James said as he turned around. He was smiling and Fox could hardly believe his eyes. The vulpine looked like a mirror image of him, the jade green eyes, the fur patterns, white muzzle, white strip of fur running down his forehead, and the same jet black nose. "A word of advice though son, you shouldn't chase after just anyone. Make sure she is the one you are absolutely happy with before you risk throwing your apprenticeship away. I made the same '_mistake_,'" James said snidely, "and I never regretted it because I chose your mother."

Fox took those words to heart despite his withdrawal from his father. Fox nodded and realized James was trying to cast him away again. Not wanting to lose his father again, Fox quickly said.

"You know, maybe we could just call them? I don't have to leave quite yet."

James smiled again, this time warmer. "Of course. I only suggested it because I felt your mixed feelings. You can stay as long as you like."

"Great… but… do you think we could talk more? Or will you be too busy?" Fox asked.

"I'll never be too busy again for you son. Come on, I'll show you around." James said and with his hand on Fox's shoulder, left the bridge of his ship, having never been this happy in years.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys, plot twist again eh? I hope you enjoyed and haven't given up on me. I am trying to get chapters up for all my stories but it's been difficult these last few weeks. Between work, semester finals, siblings, and trying to pass a bill into a law, I've had zilch time to write. But anyways, more to come and James will fill us in on what he's been up to. Hope you enjoyed, see ya later peeps!**_


	16. The Hutts

"_Every once in a while things happen to people that sends their lives into different directions. These great events often take weeks, months, even years to happen. For me, it seems like every other day something changes my life forever. As terrifying as that sounds, I can find solace in the fact of knowing that my life won't be boring. Hopefully, it won't be as exciting as today was. I don't think I can handle a dogfight a day."_

Fox put down his pencil and revised his work. Since his luggage was somewhere else, Fox still didn't have his audio recorder. Later he would covert the text recording into an audio recording, once he got his things back. For now however, he was borrowing some of Storm's clothes from a year ago, which were Fox's size now. The young vulpine wore a pair of navy blue jeans and a black shirt.

From there, Fox stood up and pushed his chair into his desk. He was tired so he plopped down onto his freshly washed sheets and fell asleep most instantly. The last thing he thought about was the techniques his father was going to teach him, and how much closer he'd become to beating Krystal. Despite their near kiss, Fox still hadn't forgotten how cruel and hurtful she could be. James was the easy path to victory.

Tomorrow looked bright after today, but then, it wasn't every day your life was on the line in the middle of an all out war….

~X~X~X~X~

"And this is the training room." James said opening the door to show a massive, high tech training room for normal people and Jedi. There were weights, treadmills, equipment, and mats for normal workouts. Then there was the Jedi workout equipment. Rocks, sparring rings, practice Lightsabers, training droids, workbenches, nearly a dozen Holocrons with instructions to perform forms as well as techniques, and other objects to manipulate with the Force.

"Wow." Fox let slip. He was still partial to his father and didn't want to come off as if all was forgiven because he talked back or was impressed.

"If you want, later I can show you some Force techniques." James suggested casually.

Fox nodded his head just as casually, as if he wasn't completely stoked. "Sure, alright. You can show me right now if you want."

"No I don't think so. We still have to contact Vane and Shivana and let them know they don't have to worry. Especially that Krystal girl." James added in to tease Fox. It worked; the vulpine went red under his orange fur but he kept silent, not wanting to play his father's game. Charlie and Lucy gave him enough crap if he so much as said the word girl.

"Okay, let's go do that." Fox said brushing his father's comment off his shoulder.

~X~X~X~X~

"How do you lose a passenger? Don't you have personnel, cameras, or even scanners?" Mistress Shivana snapped at a stewardess.

"Y-Yes ma'am, but at the time-"

"But at the time what?" Krystal jumped in. The two were tag teaming the poor woman, never giving her a chance to explain herself.

"But at the time our-"

"Do you even have any idea where he might be, how he was taken, or if he's even in the system anymore?" Shivana asked in a very stern tone but still had yet to let loose her temper. The poor raccoon was horribly outmatched until Master Vane brought reason to the one-sided debacle.

"You two, let her explain herself. It's not like she had anything to do with Fox's disappearance."

"That's the problem; she should have done something to prevent it." Shivana grumbled under her breath but got a look from under the yellow mask.

The raccoon flashed a very thankful look Vane's way before saying.

"At the time of his disappearance, all the cameras were malfunctioning. It appears the Mynocks did more damage than first anticipated. We're looking everywhere for him, even checking the camera logs for the cameras around the buildings. We'll inform you if we find so much as a piece of his fur master Jedi." The raccoon said to Vane.

"Thank you ma'am, have a pleasant day." Vane said particularly in a suave tone causing the raccoon to blush despite his face being hidden. He had a strong, but relaxing voice when it wasn't toneless and hollow.

Mistress Shivana squinted at the man. "Are you done? Just what exactly are we going to do about Fox?"

"We wait. Krystal's not in too much distress, now is she?" Vane asked, his eyes darting to the young confused vixen.

"Master, what does my condition have to do with Fox?" She asked.

"When Fox kidnapped last time, you wouldn't sit still for a heartbeat." Vane pointed out causing the vixen to look away in embarrassment. "Now ladies, take a seat and we should be hearing from either him or his kidnappers shortly."

The vixen and the she-wolf reluctantly obeyed but Mistress Shivana noticed a slight hint in the man's voice. It was so small, so sudden, and so stealthy that only people who had been around him for years would have caught it. He was hiding something or he knew something was up. Whatever it was, he'd keep it close to the vest until the right time.

"Do you know something we don't Vane?" Shivana asked.

"Perhaps. I sensed something, a presence I've not felt since…" Vane said but trailed off and was silent.

~X~X~X~X~

"Um… d_a_d?" Fox said with minor difficulty this time.

"Yes Fox?" James asked as he dialed up numbers and information on the communication station of the Great Fox.

"Could we um… could we leave out the whole fight with Storm? I'm in enough trouble as it is." Fox admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, and why's that?" James asked trying to keep the smile off his face because he already knew the answer to his question.

"Fighting." The younger vulpine admitted, his tail sagging low now.

James let out a low chuckle. "You know Fox; you're just like how I used to be. You mouth off, you swear, you curse, you get into fights, you make all the girls swoon. Only difference between me then and you now is you dress like a square."

Fox looked down at his apprentice robes. "Well, I can't counter you on that one, except you look like some space pirate waiter."

"Hey!" James laughed. "Don't knock the combat suit. These things are a lot more comfortable, flexible, and they even breathe better too, unlike those mandated boy toy uniforms."

Fox smiled and squinted at James. "Touché _old man_, touché."

"Okay… here we go." James said getting over another spasm of laughter. "You can handle this right? I need to go check on Storm to make sure he isn't setting up another prank or figuring out ways to test you."

Fox speculated whether or not that was the real reason he left before the call went through, but since it was less likely Vane would find out about his recent fight, he didn't mind that much.

"Hello Fox." The toneless sound of Master Vane's voice resounded from the station's speakers causing Fox to jump with fright.

The vulpine quickly moved to cover his ass and gave Vane a calm look. "Hi Master Vane." Fox replied casually.

There was a long pause until Vane asked. "Are you in trouble again?"

Fox shook his head. "Not this time."

"Let me talk to that little-" Fox heard Krystal growl off screen but Master Vane remained the sole occupant of the screen.

"I see… and how did you come across this number? Only Shivana, myself, and- James… so you are alive." Vane said more to himself than Fox. For some reason, Fox felt he sensed a trace of anger or irritation in Vane's voice. "Where is he Fox?"

"Who Dad?" Fox asked but shrugged. "He went to go check up on something real quick."

"I see… Fox, are you sure you don't need help?" Vane asked in his regular toneless voice.

"No, I don't think I do. I can take care of myself, but if I need some backup, I'll give you a call." Fox said arrogantly.

"Indeed. Very well Fox, but remember what I have told you. Do not give in to your emotions; the Dark Side is always lying in wait with the cleverest of disguises." Vane warned.

"I'll keep that in mind Master." Fox said who was half listening because James walked back into the room but stayed in the doorway. "I'll talk to you later Master."

"Good bye Fox, and good bye James." Vane said, once again a whiff of anger in his voice. After that, the screen turned black and Vane disappeared.

Fox looked to his father. "Am I missing something here? Was it just me or was Master Vane a little… angry?"

James nodded. "That sounded like he was. As much as he tries to hide his emotions behind his mask, he can always be read with enough insight."

"But why would he be mad?" Fox asked.

"Maybe because we brought you here without asking?" James suggested and smiled.

Fox smiled back even though he knew deep down that wasn't the root of his master's anger. "So what should we do now?"

James shrugged. "I don't know, anything you want to do is fine with me." James said simply. In truth, he had no idea what to do with Fox. It had been years since they were in the same room together and now that they were, James was left without ideas.

Fox shrugged back. "Train?" He asked throwing the first thing that came to mind.

James nodded his head. "Yeah! Let's go do that!"

~X~X~X~X~

"I'm going to kill him." Krystal said to herself calmly. "I am going to kill him. I'll put his head on my staff and use his stupid head to beat his stupid body. That little jerk didn't even say hi!"

Mistress Shivana was as far deep in her own world as Krystal was in her own. She hadn't seen James in almost ten years but she was willing to bet anything that he still looked just as handsome, heroic, and heart throbbing. She wasn't as much concerned with his looks because just hearing his name brought memories flooding back. The times they shared training together, their first mission together, when he taught her how to use a gun. Every moment she shared with him she had treasured because she was almost certain he was dead. But now that he was alive, they might be able to catch up.

"The shuttle has arrived." Vane said walking up to the absent minded women. His words fell upon deaf ears.

"Stupid little, ugly, backstabbing, jealous, inbreeded idiot." Krystal growled to herself.

'Oh James, he could always make me laugh.' Shivana thought to herself.

The yellow mask let out a sigh and shook his head.

~X~X~X~X~

"Keep your mind clear Fox; imagine yourself moving the rock with your arms as well as with the Force." James said to Fox with a very suave voice.

James breathed and released his breath like Shivana had taught him. As stressful as this training exercise would have been, with his father teaching him, Fox felt relatively lax. When he was trained how to feel the Force, he'd become frustrated and impatient with the greatest of ease from the lightest amounts of pressure. Yet now, even as he struggled to stack the third rock onto the pile, he felt at peace.

The head sized rock wobbled only slightly as he willed it to sit on the carefully balanced lower rock. Fox clenched his teeth with worry because he never managed to stack three rocks, and his concentration began to wane. The third rock was now shaking like him and James saw this instantly.

"Relax Fox. Don't lose your focus. You must feel the Force around you. Here between you, me, the rock, everywhere. Even between the ship and the rock." James said softly to Fox.

Fox listened as hard as he could, but he could hardly hear the reverberating echo from the vast leagues away. The young vulpine's dominance over the rock was severed and fell to the floor making a soft plop onto the softer ground.

"You're learning fast Fox. Not many learn as fast as you and all of them are younger which makes it easier for them to learn." James said refraining from patting Fox on the shoulder. "But you have failed several times before, this makes you feel pressured and you lose your focus. There's no pressure Fox, you have years to study, develop, and master your skills."

"But if I don't get good enough fast enough, I'll be kicked out!" Fox argued.

James squinted at Fox. "What do you mean Fox?"

"Back on Corneria, apprentices who don't progress fast enough are cast out." Fox explained.

"…What?" James said after a long pause. Fox just nodded in response, this unleashed an outraged vulpine. "Are they _trying_ to let people fall to the dark side! Because that's the first place you go when you're kicked out of the Jedi! You go straight to the dark side and good luck getting back!"

"Is that what happened to you?" Fox asked not trying to imply anything, only just wanting to know.

James looked at Fox and then away. "Son… I admit that I have dabbled in the dark side. When I was younger I had dreams of learning to control both sides of the light and the dark sides of the Force. I thought this because an old mentor of mine, Hans Lee, once told me that there are no sides of the Force, there is only the Force. I believed him and I aspired to show everyone that our petty differences meant nothing and that we can live together under one rule and obtain true peace."

Fox licked his lips and thought about his father's dream. Fox himself had ideas for peace and he wanted neither the dark nor light side to dominate his path, just his own personal views, beliefs, and sense of what's right.

"I soon came to find that that goal was next to impossible. Every time I attempted to delve deeper into the dark side, I found myself coming closer and closer to corruption. I know why I failed though, I hunger for power too much and my judgment becomes clouded."

"Well, knowing you have a problem is the first step." Fox said as he shrugged then laughed nervously.

"You don't approve…" James said as he squinted at Fox, "yet you yourself know the power of the dark side, and embraced it as I do."

Fox clenched his fists and took a step back. "No, it was a mistake, one I won't repeat. The dark side is evil."

James stared at Fox with seemingly sour eyes. A bead of sweat trickled down Fox's brow.

"I'm glad you think that way Fox." James said and smiled warmly. "There is too much good in you to be tainted by the dark side."

Fox was instantly relieved by his father's recovered good mood. It now seemed he wasn't angry with him, just trying to find some fault in his resolve.

"But don't worry, your training will teach you to not have those feelings that make you so vulnerable to corruption." James assured. Fox nodded in confirmation but kept silent afterwards. The long silence droned on and eventually James cleared his throat and said. "Fox, have you ever flown before?"

Fox's ears perked and his tail swished ecstatically. "Not since the last time." Fox said and started to smile despite his best efforts not to.

James cocked an eyebrow at Fox. "What do you mean the last time?"

Fox licked his lips, ground his teeth, and started sweating bullets as his guts started twisting into tight knots. He had always wanted so desperately to fly but Charlie never let him anywhere near a vehicle with flight's pilot seat after his third birthday and the little renegade fox kit took off in a flying car someone callously left running. Fox didn't crash and no damaged was caused because of him, but a city wide search was enacted and he was found twenty miles away from home still flying.

"Never mind, I don't want to know." James chuckled but already knew what happened after glancing Fox's mind. "Come on, let's go."

The young vulpine followed closely to the older fox as they left the gym and proceeded to the hangers. Fox could hardly control his excitement, and to contain himself he started asking questions.

"So dad, what are you doing out here on Papetoon?" Fox asked.

"I was hired by the local government to provide extra protection for a shipment of precious ore that is used to make Arwings." James said to the beaming vulpine. "It was a good thing they hired me. The crime boss Lord O'Donnell sent almost an entire fleet of pirates and thugs to intercept this latest shipment. Apparently, the metal, which is too long and complex for me to say aloud, is very, very valuable."

"I must have downed at least fifty of them before they turned tail and ran. Of course they swore revenge and would see me killed one day. But so does every other person in the Lylat system." James chuckled. "So many bounty hunters try, and even the best have failed."

"Was mom a bounty hunter?" Fox asked suddenly.

James stumbled but shrugged it off and kept walking. "Yes Fox, but before you begin to judge your mother know that she was only named the Demon Fox by the scum and villainy of the Lylat's underbelly. She was a government bounty hunter and was the best of the best. She took out more dictators, crime bosses, and gangs then the entire Cornerian Army could on its own. The only ones that could even come close to her level of skill were the Sharpclaw family. She gave that life up however, when she met me."

"Why?" Fox asked.

James bit his lips. "That's a story for later Fox." He said as they reached the hanger bay's door.

"Holy…" Fox said but trailed off, never really saying shit.

The hanger was every young pilot's dream and resembled an auto-show of sorts except with starships. There were fighters, small freighters, drones, and what looked like a tank. Fox's mouth barely kept from hanging open as he soaked in his surroundings. James chuckled and asked.

"Which one do you want to fly first?" He asked.

"You're letting me pick?" Fox asked once he snapped back to reality.

"Sure, anything you want to fly. My A-wings, freighters, my drones, Hell, even my Arwings are-" James said but was interrupted by the explosive outburst from the younger vulpine.

"You have Arwings!" Fox nearly shouted at the top of his lungs. "But aren't those supposed to be in prototype only?"

"Well yeah, I've done more than a few favors for the Lylat and the Senate is more than happy to send me some when I asked for them. They'll be here next week." James replied.

"What kind of things did you do?" Fox asked, his tail wagging uncontrollably.

"Oh, this and that. Stop genocide here, prolong the coming war there. Nothing too major." James yawned. "But when you're a war veteran, people line up to give you stuff."

Fox began to look on his father in new light even though he didn't know if that was true or not. The light wasn't as bright and happy as sunshine, but it wasn't as dark and cold as a burnt-out light-bulb.

"H-How about we take that out for a spin?" Fox asked and pointed to the small freighter. He always wanted to fly one, ever since he started watching the tales of the Millennium Falcor on TV. It was a show about a smuggler trying to make his way in life and gets recruited to save a princess by the last Jedi in the galaxy. Then there was something about a Death Sun or something, Fox didn't get that far into the show, there was always something else he had to do.

James smiled. "Sure, why not? If you're here next week we can take the Arwings out."

Fox didn't say anything but James knew he was already excited by reaching out to his mind. James sensed that this didn't make up for the last ten years of not being there, but it was "a damn good start" as Fox put it.

The two vulpines walked into the freighter and James led Fox to the cockpit. Once there, Fox had a million burning questions.

"Are these the engines?" Fox asked pointing to two green switches.

James cocked an eyebrow at Fox and said. "Yes, yes they are."

"Then these have to be the G-diffusers." Fox said pointing to a small collection of buttons.

"You know, for someone who's never flown before, you seem to know a lot about it." James queried as he turned the Freighter's engines on.

"Lucky guesses." Fox shrugged as the freighter lifted with a dramatic hiss. Fox's tail was wrapped around his back and resting on his lap and was so bushy, not a single hair was resting as the white tip waved up and down.

"In my experience there's no such thing as luck." James countered. "Did you learn this on TV or read it somewhere Fox?"

Fox strained his memory but everything came up blank. "No, just guessing. TV is never that technical and I only read magazines about new ships, not their technicals."

The older vulpine nodded and was now left with a puzzlement. He'd heard of genetic memory but that was locked deeply inside of the genetic code. There was no way Fox was lying though, he had no prior instruction or knowledge of how any of this stuff worked. Still, perhaps it was the Force. James cleared his throat as the Millennium Falcor took off. The Force was the only logical, but improvable option.

Once they cleared the Great Fox's hanger and shields, James angled them away from the planet where there was less traffic and no chance they'd collide with someone or something. The older vulpine smiled when they reached a no man's zone and let go of the controls. He stood up and said.

"Here Fox, open her up."

"You're really letting me fly?" Fox gapped as he realized this wasn't a sick joke and one of his lifelong dreams was about to come true. James' only response was getting up out of the pilot's chair and motioning towards it with his hand. Fox was in the chair almost before James' hand motion was done.

"Alright, clutch and push the controls forward and we go faster, move them left we go left, move right we go right, release the clutch and you can go up or down. Go ahead and learn a feel for the controls." James said confidently.

A moment after James wished he had been sitting because the little vulpine clutched the two controls (one for each hand like a pod-racer) and sent them zooming through space. The older vulpine was thrown back but managed to catch himself by throwing a hand out before he hit the ground and he used the anchorage to flip around in midair and land on his feet. James couldn't help but smile as Fox whooped and hollered but physically and mentally. Not only was his son's intense satisfaction rewarding, but he'd just scored some serious "brownie points" as Fox put it.

James quickly got into the copilot's chair and activated the G-diffuser which would make it so that Fox's crazy flying wouldn't send him hurtling into the nearest wall. As Fox sent the ship into barrel rolls, loops, sharp turns, and bursts of speed, James was on stand by in case something went wrong. He highly doubted it though, Fox was already flying pretty well so what harm could it do if he went back and made some microwave burritos.

"Hey Fox I'm a little hungry. You want something?" James asked the ecstatic little orange vulpine.

"Huh? Yeah, sure, sure." Fox said on reflex. In truth, Fox wasn't even listening to James anymore. All he was listening to was that little voice in the back of his head that said "ooh try this, this is going to be cool!" This reflex was very helpful when he zoned out during a really long lecture and other boring, remedial things.

James shook his head and kept himself from laughing. Fox was probably hungry but his stomach was too excited to notice. So he'd make him a two or three burritos from the microwave.

The older vulpine got out of his seat and left the cockpit to address his growling stomach. He reached the main area of the ship where every room connected to. The crew's bedroom, the captain's bedroom, the bathroom, the cockpit, the engine room, the med bay, and the cargo room all led to that one room. The Hub, as James called it, was a recreation room to speak. There was a couch with a holo-projector, a small kitchen, a table which was also the holo-projector, and some seats to relax in after a long day of smuggling which was what the freighter was built for.

James pulled out five burritos from the fridge, and then three for Fox. The vulpine worked out so much that he could eat a whole bag of burritos and not gain an ounce. Arren always told James how much he envied James' metabolism because if Arren so much as had a candy bar it would run straight to the reptile's thighs and jiggle for weeks.

James set the timer for sixty four seconds just before the entire ship lurched, sending James to the floor and warning signals into a frenzy. The vulpine quickly stretched out with the Force and realized what was happening.

"Dad!" Fox yelled just before the ship lurched again. James moved as fast as he could to the cockpit but found the doors sealed shut. James swore but remembered his Jedi training and cleared his mind while running back to the Hub.

"Fox." James said through the Force as he opened a hatch in the middle of the Hub. "We're being attacked by a pirate gang known as the Hutts. I can't get into the cockpit and help you so I need you to fly as best as possible and avoid all conflict. Get us back to the Great Fox and I'll keep us covered as best I can."

Fox didn't reply, but James sensed he understood. James climbed down a small ladder into a gunner's seat and primed the gun. Almost immediately he opened fire and ended a cocky pilot's attack run. That one pilot didn't seem to matter though as James saw there were thirty more of them circling the freighter like wolves do a lone, fat, wounded prey.

Meanwhile in the cockpit, Fox had absolutely no idea what was going on. One minute he's flying around, having the time of his life, and the next he's getting attacked by some assholes. Still, if his dad told him to fly as best he could, he'd fly even better. Fox learned a couple of moves from TV and started barrel-rolling as he swooped away from the attackers. This proved futile however, because just as he thought he got away, another A shaped ship came from nowhere and was flying right at them.

Fox screamed just before the ship that would have crashed into him exploded.

"It's all right Fox, just keep it up, you're doing spectacularly." James reassured as he chased another A-wing with his quad-turbo laser gun. The pirate had no chance and James' red lasers made quick work of the Interceptor class ship. The vulpine checked his radar and moved to intercept the squad of five attacking from the left. Their squad was rather disorganized so when he started firing at them they all scattered and two sets of two collided. Only one of the groups erupted into a flash of flames then turned to no more than space dust. James trailed the leader of the group and eventually raked the shields before riddling the hull with laser fire.

Learning from their comrade's failure, the rest of the pirates split up and attacked the ship one at a time, always from different angles. James was hard pressed to keep up with them but thanks to Fox's piloting skills, he almost always seemed to end up facing the next threat. It was strange; it was almost as if he and Fox had a bond that subconsciously informed the other of their needs.

"Almost there Fox." James said through the Force and critically damaged another pirate's A-wing. The craft stopped and became motionless in space like its pilot forevermore. James stayed his laser from the ship because he had plans for that pirate. "Just get us a bit closer to the Great Fox and we'll be fine."

Almost as if they heard him, the entire pirate gang swarmed the ship.

"God damn it!" James swore as he nearly broke the trigger of his guns. His target changed every other second and the best he managed to do was hit one on occasion. But he wasn't focusing on killing anymore, just scaring them off but if he got the chance he wouldn't hesitate.

James managed to get two more before he heard a loud boom and that only meant one thing, the shields had failed and the hull was penetrated.

"Dad I can't shake them!" Fox said as if he was right in James' ear which made the older vulpine jump.

"It's okay Fox; just do as best as you can." James replied trying to calm the stressed kit down. In truth he saw no way out of this. There were too many ships for one single smuggling freighter to handle alone. But James wouldn't give up. His son had only just begun living life; he wasn't going to let these damn pirates take his son's life.

Rage began to boil inside of James, and every time a ship struck the ship with laser fire, it damaged the ship and added fuel to the vulpine's anger. The vulpine's fur bristled and he bared his teeth while he shot the pirate ships. Finally, James stretched out with the Force until he felt every mind and body of the pirates, and with the Force he broke them both.

Their minds he shattered and made them nothing more than babbling fools, and he broke their bodies in several areas including the neck, legs, arms, and spine. It was a technique he called Force Wrath, and it was the only original technique he knew. It came to him during the war when he was captured and forced to watch his men be executed one at a time. When the got to him his anger was visible on him and could be seen emanating off him like an aura. That time, he slew almost a hundred people.

James panted heavily as the drawback from that attack taxed him severely. The main drawback of the attack was feeling their pains and fears as he brought down his wrath. Force Wrath was not a technique to be taken lightly, only if your murderous resolve is greater than the pain you inflict will it not kill you. For Fox however, he'd kill anyone and anything to save his son.

"Fox… are you alright?" James asked once he'd recovered long enough.

"What happened dad?" Fox weakly asked. The sudden stop of the attack and watching them all fly off into deep space or collide shocked and frightened the young kit.

"Don't worry about it Fox. We're safe now… do you think you can get us to the Great Fox?" James asked as he tried to soothe Fox's mind through the Force.

Fox nodded in the cockpit despite his father not being there. "I'll try to get us there, but we've taken a couple of hits."

"Just do your best Fox." James replied and watched as Fox slowly but skillfully piloted the damaged freighter back to the Dreadnaught.

~X~X~X~X~

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys, what's up? Been a while for this story huh? Well to be honest I got stuck with some serious writer's block but after a good three hours of Star Fox: Adventures, I made that block my bitch and another story I might add (Star Fox: Saurian Prisoner). Now if you don't read Back to Hell then I'll tell you now. I've enlisted into the United States Navy and am shipping out December thirteenth or twenty seventh. I hope I'll be able to come back one day but when I ship out expect long periods without updates (if any updates). I'll be relatively safe; the worst thing that can happen to me is getting sucked up into a jet engine I guess. I'll be an Aviation Mechanic so no worries about being on the frontlines any time soon. If I die I'll have my sister tell you all I guess. Thanks for all your support to those people wishing me best, you can now plainly see why I made such a long and cheesy monologue in Back to Hell. **_

_**Anyways back to the story. Robots are now droids because I hate the name robots compared to droids. I'm going to be using Star Wars combat vehicles and aircraft since there are only like five named vehicles in Star Fox. The Arwings and Landmaster will still be in this though, don't worry. And the ship Fox and James flew in resembles the Ebon Hawk a lot. Well thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed and I'll see ya later peeps!**_

_**P.S. Don't ask about the burritos, I was hungry when I wrote that part.**_


	17. Parting Ways

'_I said goodbye to my father yesterday… he promised he'd visit real soon but that doesn't stop the pain. I don't know why but, even after all the years of abandonment, I love my dad. We spent so much time talking and bonding before he left… am I so easy to sway? Krystal isn't talking to me more than she has to lately and my punishment promised for all past wrongs begins tomorrow. I am not looking forward to it at all. This new Jedi academy is… tolerable. Compared to the one on Corneria, it's a lot more… livelier. The one on Corneria felt ancient and ominous but this one is teeming with life. The building is flooded but not overwhelmed with beautiful plants and trees. The people here are much nicer here and there isn't a pass or fail system here like on Corneria. Krystal is already making friends but I'm not in the mood for all that now. Besides, I think she's trying to make me jealous… women.'_

Fox sighed with a heavy heart and put the audio recorder down on his desk next to his bed. He wanted nothing more than to be with his dad back on the Great Fox, but after the encounter with the Hutts, his father said he had to "wrap up" some unfinished business and it was too dangerous for him to come along. He left after saying goodbye and before Vane and Shivana could show.

It was late and after the long boring day of travel and lectures from Vane and Shivana, Fox now just wanted to lay his head down next to Krystal and listen to her breath softly as he gently stroked her back. He'd kiss her just at the base of her ears making them twitch from the ticklish contact. Krystal would sigh and whisper her name and he'd hold her just a little snugger before she looked into his jade green eyes and draw into a kiss.

"God I'm pathetic." Fox thought after he broke his fantasy. The vulpine growled as he shook his head of the romantic ideas and thoughts of Krystal. Once done, the orange fox was finally able to get some sleep after a few drawn out moments.

~X~X~X~X~

Fox sulked in his chair as James flew the speeder down to the planet. James sensed the young vulpine's sadness. As much as it tore into James' own heart, he had to send Fox back to Vane. After the encounter with the pirates he knew Fox wouldn't be safe with him as long as he had the gang on his back. The second he killed their boss Nal'Hutta, he'd return and see Fox again. He made this promise to Fox but he knew his promise could only lighten the pain.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this Fox." James sighed heavily with grief, some of which was influence from Fox's mind but James tried to overlook this.

He'd made a few theories as to why Fox was so well intuned with him like Vixy used to be. The worst possibility he thought of was that Fox had already made a Force bond with him. This was bad because there wasn't a bond there before and if there was one now then that meant Fox made bonds too easily. Jedi aren't supposed to have attachments to things or people, and above all love. Just being around Fox was bad enough, but James knew that Vane would teach Fox to control and even kill his emotions. Out of all the Jedi, Vane was the best, not because he was the strongest Force wielder (aside from him), but because he had few to no emotions almost all the time. Even when people walk right up into his face (or mask), and started cussing him out, he never felt a whisper of anger.

"When I get back though, I'll talk to Vane about taking you to Belial's canyon. We can fly there and train for hours and hours." James said and despaired when Fox didn't feel the slightest bit happier.

James sighed quietly to himself as he flew towards the shuttle bay where he told Vane he'd drop Fox off. He used a prerecorded message to tell Vane and Fox wondered why before the crushing feeling of abandonment collapsed onto him. It was just like when Krystal refused to help him for a time. The only solace knowing this was that Krystal forgave him and came around, so maybe James would come back?

Finally once they were given permission to land, James took them down in landing-dock sixty four. The cockpit opened and the two vulpines hopped out. Once Fox landed on his feet he felt his father's paw on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this Fox. I'll come back the second I can… I promise." James said and his voice nearly cracked when the mirror image of himself looked up into his equally dazzling green eyes.

Fox gave him a weak smile and he nodded. "You'll know where to find me dad."

James opened his mouth to speak but he shivered when he felt a very familiar presence. No sooner had he felt the presence, a man draped entirely in robes with a yellow smiling fox mask covering his face walked through the landing-dock's doors. For a split second, Fox could have sworn that James reached for his weapon whether it was a Lightsaber or even a blaster. But as Vane got closer Fox realized he was mislaid.

Vane stopped just three steps from them and the two men stared at each other. Even Fox, who had no clue as to their real past together, could feel the tension and creeping sensation of death approaching. Fox's eyes darted from man to man as he wondered in horror if they were going to fight. He really liked his dad, maybe even already loved him, but Vane was his teacher and he had grown a sense of respect for him.

"James." Vane said with no emotion which relieved the small vulpine greatly.

"Vane." James replied with a hollow voice but still with feeling.

"Care to explain how this all happened?" Vane asked.

Fox licked his lips and his ears drooped. If his dad ratted him out, he'd be in even more trouble then he already was.

James shrugged. "The Force brought us together I suppose. I'm a little fuzzy on the details how he got onto my ship in the first place. Out of the blue one of my associates brought him to me and if you want to know, go ask him."

Fox nearly jumped up and down with relief because he just got off the hook, but he restrained himself.

"I see…" Vane said as another speeder flew overhead and sounded like it landed in a nearby shuttle-dock. "Fox, go to Shivana and stay with her, I have to talk to James in private."

Fox's muzzle gapped slightly open as he looked to his father with a worried face. But his father merely smiled and nodded to him.

"It will be alright son; Vane and I were friends once." James said reassuringly.

Fox blinked and sent his father a silent message with his eyes that James received. James' wouldn't fight unless he had to. When Fox had left, the two men began their first talk in over ten years.

"You've been training him well I see." James began to which Vane replied.

"Not as much as I'd like. Now that we're here on Papetoon however, he will be under my instruction on a permanent daily basis. So don't even think-" Vane threatened but James held up a hand.

"Vane. If I was going to take him away we wouldn't be here now would we? The life of a mercenary is not a life for a child with so much burning potential. Besides, there's no one I want to train him more than you." James said which caught Vane off guard.

"I see…" Vane replied, his voice stoic as always.

The two didn't say anything until finally James brought up the issue.

"Vane, I'm sorry for the way I acted before I left. I should not have said nor done the things I did. I was angry, my expulsion did not sit well with me, and I took it out on you. I especially didn't mean any offense by taking Fox, which I had no plans of in the first place, my associate did so on his own." James said after he lowered the walls and barriers around his mind so Vane could ascertain the whole truth.

"Interesting." Vane said as if he wasn't in the slightest way moved by James' apology. "And here I thought we'd have to fight in a glorious battle until the entire star-port was in ruins and one of us was dead."

James cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "We could if you want." He said and reached for his Lightsaber. "It's been a _long_ time since I've fought anyone nearly as powerful as I."

"Nearly as powerful?" Vane questioned.

"Well I haven't been twiddling my thumbs training apprentices for the last ten years Vane. I've been keeping very busy." James said with a cocky smile. "I even found the tomb of Shal'ankh the Incarnate."

"You-" James gasped, throwing his military in equal, bearing off for a mere moment. The Jedi master cleared his throat before continuing. "You found the tomb of the Incarnate? The real tomb?"

James nodded. "I did, it was right under our noses. If we had only dug another four feet into the sand back on Macbeth, we'd have found it."

"And the Holocrons?" Vane asked.

James sighed and gave him a look. "If that guy was a Sith, then I'm still a Jedi. The only techniques he left behind were healing powers and mind penetration techniques."

"Well he wasn't the most ruthless Sith. He converted his followers and influenced the brunt of them to his side after all, which would explain the techniques left behind." Vane replied.

"Yeah…" James grunted. "I wish you had been there though. We looked for that tomb for a whole thirteen months back in the day."

"Indeed." Vane said, adding nothing else to the memory reminiscing.

"Still the motor-mouth you always were I see, eh Vane?"

"Yes." Vane replied.

James chuckled and grinned. "The trick is getting you to shut up. Especially when you and Shivana were younger-"

"Things have changed since then." Vane said with a spark of anger.

James shook his head and smiled all the brighter. "_Sure _it has. And I'm sure you aren't beaming beat red under that mask right now."

~X~X~X~X~

'I'm in so much fucking trouble.' Fox thought to himself when he saw the look Krystal was throwing him from across the lobby. His steps became heavier and slower as he drew closer to Krystal. Unfortunately Mistress Shivana was nowhere in sight, so there would be no one to save his sorry ass and the janitor would have to scrape it off after hours of scrubbing. Krystal eventually grew tired of waiting and descended upon the poor vulpine. Fox gave her a weak and innocent grin but her glare killed his smile.

"Hey Krys-" Fox said before she lifted her hand as if to strike him. Fox shuddered away but instead of a fierce pain across his face (or wherever she would decide to hit him), he felt a soft wind as she jabbed her finger at his face.

"Do you know how worried I was Fox?" Krystal growled. "Even when you did call us you didn't even say hi!"

Fox's ears drooped and he couldn't bear to look into her reddening eyes. She was holding back the tears as hard as she could and it was even affecting him. He suddenly felt terrible for not telling her anything or even saying hi.

"It's not fair to me you doing this. You know about the bond we share, surely you must have felt something?" Krystal asked.

Fox opened his muzzle to talk but he found no words.

"You felt nothing?" Krystal nearly whispered. "Do you not have any of the same feelings that I do?"

"I'm sorry Krystal I was distracted-"

"Distracted!" Krystal shouted bringing most everyone's attention to the two foxes. Since they were on the night side of the planet, there weren't too many people in the lobby. That didn't mean there weren't many people, there was nearly four dozen just sitting around waiting for their flight to another world.

"Distracted by what? What could be so important that you can't even feel something that is stronger than the two of us combined?" Krystal asked loud enough for the people to hear. She wasn't trying to raise a scene; she just had no idea that her actions were attracting attention because Fox had hurt her so badly: was still hurting her.

"My father… I met my father for the first time." Fox shrugged.

"Your father!" Krystal gapped. "You never said anything about your father before."

For the people watching, the young kits' argument was rather interesting. The little play of drama was deep and was undoubtedly real because their acting was so real that there was no way they were acting.

"I didn't like to talk about him." Fox replied. "And there wasn't much to talk about in the first place anyhow."

Krystal began to stroke her arm at the elbow because of the new turn to the engagement. "Well I… I guess I can understand that."

Fox put a finger to the jaw of her muzzle. He brought her to look him in the eyes ever so gently and he smiled.

"I _am_ sorry Krystal. I should have checked in with you and I still thought about you a lot. I told my day all about you though."

Krystal licked her lips and whispered. "Everything? Even the less then nice things?"

Fox shook his head. "Well no… there's nothing to talk about that really. You only did what you thought was right so I can't blame you." Fox lied when he really secretly hated her just a little. But his hatred was a fleeting thing, especially when he was around her, so close to her, looking into her deep blue, glistening eyes.

"Did he approve of me then?" She asked.

"What's not to approve of? If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be where I am right now. He likes you; I know that for a fact." Fox said making Krystal blush.

There was a long silence between the two as they awkwardly stood around so close to each other not knowing what next to do.

"Kiss her!" A loud voice called out from the people eagerly watching the little show the two fox kits were putting on.

Fox and Krystal perked up like frightened animals and looked around. They saw all the people watching them so intently and immediately jumped back from one another. A few older people groaned now that their little show was over and went back to whatever they had been doing prior since the fluff was gone.

"Aw man. And here I thought we had a new soap opera. I'd be the director and you'd be the two star crossed lovers that-" A white wolf said as he walked past a group of refugees.

"Storm!" Fox shouted and made a move to charge at and then kill the lupine, but Krystal stopped him. "Little cock-block." Fox grunted under his breath.

"What was that Fox?" Krystal asked.

"Nothing!" Fox replied quickly.

"Tsk, tsk." Storm said and walked right up to the angry vulpine. If it weren't for Krystal holding his arm, he'd have clobbered the wolf by now.

"What do you want Storm?" Fox grunted.

Storm just shrugged and said. "I just wanted to see my buddy off… and to see lovely Ms. Krystal again."

Krystal smiled meekly and looked away blushing. Fox curled a fist but luckily for the lupine, Shivana showed up.

"Good, I see the two of you haven't killed one another yet." Shivana sighed with relief. The she-wolf's attention then turned to the lupine. "And who might you be?"

Storm didn't respond, he just stood rooted to his spot staring at the she-wolf with a look of awe in his hazel eyes. Fox knew instantly what was going on through the little (but still bigger than him) pup's mind, but what really confused him was his eye color. Before they were yellow but now they were hazel. Maybe he just imagined it but he could have sworn they were yellow before.

Mistress Shivana smiled nervously. "Hello?"

Storm blinked twice and out of his mystified state and immediately reapplied his normal cheerful, energetic, and enthusiastic nature.

"Hello madam, my name is Storm," The young lupine said holding out a hand, "and I must say you are truly a radiant flower amongst your peers."

Storm greatly confused the Jedi master but she still took his hand. "My peers?"

"Yes, the beautiful angels of space and Ms. Krystal here." Storm said before kissing the hand Shivana gave him.

Fox, Krystal, and Shivana were all taken back by Storm. While Shivana didn't mind all that much, Fox wanted nothing more than to knock the lupine's lights out, screw in a new light-bulb, and then knock that light out.

"Why thank you Mr. Storm." Shivana replied with a gorgeous smile that made Storm sway like a love-struck kit. His eyes melted into hers and his heart began to beat heavily. "You could learn something from him Fox."

"Nah, I'm not a suck-up Mistress." Fox grunted.

"So soft." Storm sighed as he stroked Shivana's hand without the she-wolf even knowing.

"Oh come now Fox, we can all learn something from everyone." Shivana replied. "I can learn various skills from this young gentleman and you can learn his manners."

Krystal covered her smile and giggled just loud enough for Fox to hear. Fox looked at Krystal questioningly then to Storm.

"Hey back off you perv!" Fox snapped and pushed Storm back, breaking his grip over the beautiful wolf.

"I wasn't going to do anything!" Storm said rather defensively and quickly.

Shivana sighed and shook her head. "Come you three; let's take this conversation somewhere more private."

Fox grunted and followed Shivana making sure to keep a close eye on both Shivana and Krystal while acting as a buffer between Storm and Krystal especially. Storm personally promised he had no intentions of wooing Krystal to the point a personal relationship would form, but he'd still act flirtatiously to test Krystal. The reason for this was as James said, "Storm is a trickster at heart and will wait patiently for years if he has to, just to pull the greatest prank he can pull." Of course there were limits and rules to Storm's rambunctious game. First of all, he was never allowed to let people come to harm, if someone takes offense he had to make it better, and lastly he couldn't do anything to anyone's food. The last rule was made by James after Storm ruined one too many meals by unscrewing the salt shaker.

As they walked through the lobby Fox kept his eye on Storm and saw that he was as energetic and perky as usual. His stupid grin was contagious and Fox looked away and thought of dying animals just to keep the infection from catching him.

"So… Fox-boy-" Storm began but was cut off.

"Don't call me that." Fox interrupted sternly.

"Alright Fox then… anyways, when am I going to get my clothes back?" Storm asked.

"Like you need them you gargantuan freak of nature." Fox hissed sourly but Storm only laughed. To him, his height was an irresistible joke that was always funny, even if you were just pointing it out.

"Fine, wear my old play clothes that I wore on Katina during the summer." Storm sniggered.

Fox's fur stood on end and he became suddenly cold. Katina was damn hot and Storm was already a major sweat machine.

"You better have washed these." Fox growled as Krystal giggled along with Storm, just adding to the extreme discomfort and repulsion.

~X~X~X~X~

"And what do you plan on doing with Fox?" James asked suddenly as he sat on the wing of his T-forty seven air-speeder.

Vane looked up to James and replied. "I plan on teaching the boy how to be a Jedi, and if I find him worthy and capable, I'll teach him to be even greater."

"That still doesn't answer my question." James scowled.

"Then ask the _real_ question. You want to know what I plan on doing with him now that I know he is a key to the Painkiller." Vane said for James. "I plan on making him strong enough to survive it."

James stood up. "Like Hell you will Vane! No one can wield the Painkiller, and I certainly won't let you allow my son to die for it like the thousands that have died looking for it and its keys." James snapped, his eyes alit with a fiercely burning rage.

"I know it is difficult for you to accept, but Fox must face his destiny… and I will make sure that he is ready for it before it comes for him." Vane replied as James jumped off the wing of his ship and got into his face.

"Master Lee went looking for it and look what happened to him!" James snapped. "He came back blathering about a balance in the Force where both light and dark lived in peace. I believed him and look what happened to me! Master Lee was one of the best and he came back preaching Jedi heresy. Who knows what's out there waiting for Fox or any fool who sets out for the Painkiller?"

"Fox is one of the keys; he will have to face it one day, intentionally, willingly or not." Vane replied. "If you want your son to live out his life in happiness, rather than run and hide while living in constant fear for the rest of his untimely life, then you'll realize that and help me."

James growled as savagely as he could at Vane but to no avail. Vane was determined to follow the path he had already chosen for himself and Fox. If James would help then fine, if not, then he would not interfere. Eventually the reason Vane spoke reached James' ears and he conceded.

"What do you need then?" James sighed.

"War is coming; you know that as much as I do. One day Andross will lead the attack on the Lylat and I fear the Jedi will be as passive as the last time. Fox will undoubtedly join the war because he is your son and I have foreseen it. I need you to help me train him in war since you and I know so much about it. Together, we might be able to prepare him for what's coming, including the Painkiller." Vane theorized.

James nodded his head. "And what if Andross strikes again? Fox may not remember, but Andross handled him with ease and has become even stronger than before."

"I admit that's true, however I'm suppressing those memories and with me, Shivana, and the true Jedi Order protecting him on Papetoon, the boy will come to no harm from the Sith." Vane promised.

"So when do you want me to come back and train him?" James asked.

"Six years. By then I'll possibly have made a Jedi out of him and then we can mold him into something better." Vane replied, to which James growled lowly in his throat.

"That's my son you're talking about "molding." James said darkly.

"Of course, you know how I am though, always the logic one of the four of us." Vane reasoned.

"True, except when it came to Shivana. You'd turn as red as I am now." James laughed.

Vane's left index finger twitched but that was all he let on. "Very well. Say good bye to Fox and make sure you kill Nal'Hutta this time. The Hutts can not be allowed to operate if you're going to be around long enough to train Fox in four years."

"Wait… I can still visit him right? I mean, if I want to see him, you aren't going to stop me if you try. I'm just asking whether or not you're going to give me problems or not." James asked.

Vane gently shook his head. "That is up to Fox, not me. If he wishes to see you he can, but if he doesn't, I'll show you the true meaning of pain."

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that then." James replied, not at all afraid of Vane's threat.

There was a silence between them until finally Vane started to walk away. "He should be here momentarily. I'll leave the two of you alone just this once."

James felt like he should say something to Vane, but words failed him again for some reason. There was nothing to say yet, nothing that would matter at least. Maybe one day there would be a time where James' apology would finally hit home. Maybe one day, Vane would forgive James for taking his face and left arm….

"Dad!" Fox shouted as he ran full sprint at James with a look of relief in his eyes.

"Hey Fox… what's the rush?" James asked after he forced Vane from his mind so he could concentrate on his son.

"Shivana said you were leaving soon… she also says hi and wondered if you'd like to exercise with her like you used to." Fox said and started to laugh despite how much his lungs were craving oxygen. "Sounds to me like you two were doing the deed when you weren't as old as dirt."

"We never did what you're thinking pervert." James defended. "We just used to practice wall sits together is all."

Normally Fox would have come up with another innuendo, but the scarring nightmare subject that is a wall sit, chased off any wit he had.

"You're crazy dad." Fox said as he shook his head.

"Oh, so she's gave you one then eh?" James cackled. "Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?"

Fox nodded and almost rubbed his legs after remembering the pain the infamous wall sit caused him and Krystal.

"I'll take Aunt Lucy and her wooden spoon any day over Mistress' wall." Fox chuckled nervously as clearly began to sadden.

There was no avoiding what was to come. James was going to leave again, and leave him with the dark void he'd always carried without him. Not having real parents in his life was the single most disappointing thing of his life. He loved Lucy and Charlie to death and saw them more than uncle and aunt, but they were still rabbits, and he was a fox.

'Should I? I don't know… we've only just met and we barely know each other. Well… maybe… aw fuck it! Screw the rules, I'm hugging my dad.' Fox thought to himself before acting upon it.

James certainly was surprised by Fox's sudden show of affection. Just yesterday he sensed Fox was planning on killing him, but now he was actually embracing him. Or he was finding the best place to stab him with a knife. Either way it didn't matter. For the first time in his life, James embraced his child, something that was unforeseeable a few mere hours ago.

"Promise you'll come back dad." Fox said into James' flight jacket.

"I promise Fox." James said and tightened his embrace. "I'll come back and we'll hang out as long as you want."

Fox smiled and forced himself not to cry in front of his dad. "Thank you father."

The tender, fuzzy, warm feeling moment spewed on a few more minutes, only to be finally broken by James' wrist com. The six beeps and four chirps brought them back and James and Fox separated.

"Well… I'll see you around Fox." James said after clearing his throat.

"Yeah. See ya around dad." Fox said, his voice cracking on various syllables.

The two vulpines maintained a fixed eye contact all the way until the point James had to climb into the speeder. From the cockpit, James smiled and waved before igniting the engines. Fox returned the smile and once James was airborne and too high to see Fox, the little vulpine shed the tears he'd been battling with since he and his father met.

~X~X~X~X~

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the sad little fluff piece, and James' and Vane's discussion cleared some things up (while all the while giving you more things to stay up till four in the morning wondering over). Anyways, I'm sorry I've been away for so long. I have had NO time to write since I've been studying for the Navy, school shit, work shit, helping my grandmother move over three hundred miles bullshit, life at home shit, and of course senior finals. To make it up to you all though, exchange will be updated this week (counting Saturday and Sunday of course) THIS I SWEAR! And as for Survival II, you guessed it! That's right peeps! A triple whammy! Three stories! One week! All updated! **_

_**Now as for that new Star Fox smut story. Not sorry to say it but that will be the LAST sex orientated story I write. Not only that but it's on indefinite hiatus. Since writing it I've come to question myself (something I rarely do), and I realized I'm becoming Heugh Heffner (or however you spell it). Krystal's Honeymoon was a beautiful, love, romantic story about two people who were in love but could never voice it because of the FCC, Nintendo, and society's views (look at me, I'm getting all preachy and high-horse…y). **_

_**Back to this story. There's going to be a time skip soon, somewhere in the next two to three to four chapters. The skip will be the six years of Fox's Jedi training and will mark the beginning of the end of the story. Right about now we're half way done (almost). This story is planned to have a sequel, and might be a trilogy but we'll see where that goes. I might just fuck it up like I did Frozen Hell. **_

_**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed and forgive me for my long term of AFK. Expect Student first, then Survival. Later peeps!**_


	18. Mortal Kombat

"_-can't move my arms and the damn thing breaks! Fucking a! This is bullshit! Why the fu- oh hey, it's blinking. Alright… well… my arms are numb and bruised, my limbs are aching like I lifted a building, my back feels like I took it from a rancor, and all the splinters I got from Storm's wooden sword are like metal needles. All in all, life sucks and everyone except me is stupid… ESPECIALY STORM!"_

Fox growled in his throat as he slammed his audio recorder back under his bed. Since Storm was back from eating a late night snack, his roommate was now out cold in their shared quarters. Unlike his room he shared with Krystal back on Corneria, this room was much brighter, had beautifully growing plants including trees, a skylight, and a seven foot wide sphere of scorched metal from when Fox unleashed Force Storm wasn't above his bed.

As the vulpine glared at the lazy lupine, he couldn't help but notice all the visible bruises under his white fur. Storm and Fox were an even match, blow for blow they fought on the same level. The only reason they stopped without one of them dying was because one of the Jedi masters stopped their duel to the death. Most of their blows were landed on each other's arms which was why Fox was having problems using them at the time. His whole body was aching including his legs, torso, feet, and his left cheek.

With nothing else to do however, Fox decided to get some sleep, but that came after a long battle over Storm's snores which Fox managed to silence by putting his pillow in the lupine's mouth. Storm struggled and woke up but simply took the pillow out and went back to sleep. The two minutes in which that transgressed, Fox managed to quickly fall asleep….

~X~X~X~X~

Fox shifted uncomfortably and tried not to let his feelings get away from him. He was standing in front of his new class of apprentices and they were all his age and had been in training for several more years then he had. Not wanting things to wind up like back on Corneria, where everyone saw him as prey or weak, Fox was going to keep everything to the vest.

"Younglings, this is one of the new students I spoke of, his name is Fox Sabbath." A stoat said rather softly to the class who all began whispering amongst themselves.

'Great, now it's started. Tuh, whatever, I can take all these clowns no problem if they try to start something.' Fox thought to himself as he heard people question his power.

"That's Vane's new pupil?"

"He must be pretty powerful to be so fortunate to have Vane instruct him."

'Wait… what?' Fox thought to himself as he realized that they weren't questioning his power, they were revering it.

"Enough children, hold your questions for now and let us begin our morning stretches." The stoat said and immediately all the students obeyed and readied themselves for the coming exercise. All except for one, rather tall individual.

"Hey! Hey Fox! Fox! Foxy buddy! Over here!" An all white lupine whispered rather loudly.

The orange vulpine barely managed to keep himself from shouting "you," rush Storm, and drill Storm's muzzle into the ground until it collapsed or Fox struck oil. Instead, Fox gently padded over to Storm and stood next to the brimming lupine. In fact, Storm was smiling in such a weird way that his gums were visible, his eyes were nearly about to fall out of their sockets, and his fiercely burning green eyes bored into Fox with a creepy intensity.

"Storm, do me a solid." Fox whispered as he assumed the horse position along with the rest of the class and Storm.

"What?" Storm replied, his look still freaking Fox out.

"Blink."

Storm did as he was asked and his creepy aura disappeared and his eyes returned to normal, even his smile receded.

"Thank you." Fox sighed with relief. "Alright you freak of nature, what are you doing here? Don't you know that this is a Jedi only club?"

"Oh really? Then why are you here?" Storm chipped back.

Fox scowled and moved from the Horse pose back to normal stance now that the thirty second rep was done. His legs were starting to burn because of how deeply his legs were bent. He wasn't tired yet, far from it, after all the work outs on Corneria he was more than ready for this little warm up.

"Ah this feels good!" Storm exhaled as the class moved through muscle torturing exercise after the other. Fortunately, because of their young age and the danger they were in of ruining their bodies by over exerting at their young age, the repetitions and the cadences were quick. In fact, these sessions were just to get them familiar with the exercises. Regardless, several people where having difficulty, and Fox felt no sympathy or concern for them, even when he could easily help them.

Most were simply not breathing right or their pose was a little off. Fox remembered the times Mistress Shivana would correct him. At the slightest touch from the lupus goddess, Fox's blood colored him red, his tail became excessively excited, and his muscles twitched with renewed vigor.

"Once again children, back to the Shii-cho phase." The Jedi said and Fox heard a few students groan. The young grey vulpine in front of Fox groaned to himself as he stepped back into a butchered attempt of a Shii-cho stance. Fox rolled his eyes as he couldn't take it any longer.

"Look kid, you're not doing it right." Fox growled as he walked up to the confused, and now quite concerned apprentice. He had no idea what Fox was going to do and his gruff tone was even more intimidating then the five inch height difference.

"Wha-wha-?" He said before Fox gently kicked the back of his left heel.

"Move this leg about three inches to the left, your right arm is not high enough." Fox said making the adjustment himself.

The younger fox looked to the drilling instructor master who was watching with intense interest. Not knowing what else to do, he obeyed Fox's instructions and immediately his weight and coordination shifted into perfect synchronization. The young grey vulpine's eyes opened wider as the exercise that made his muscles flare with tortured pain, suddenly became only half as bad. The other students saw the evident signs of relief and ease and moved to copy him.

"Thank you Mr. Sabbath, I see Master Vane has shown you not just the complex forms, but perfected your basics as well." The stoat said, almost as if this was some sort of test for Fox.

Fox bowed his head respectively and then turned to other fox. "Don't forget to take slow deep breaths, that'll help you keep your endurance up."

From there, Fox moved back to his original spot and tried his best to keep his wrath in hand as Storm wouldn't stop sniggering all throughout the rest of the exercise. At least the groans had mostly stopped. With Fox's sound advice, everyone was now doing better then before which in turn, relieved Fox's headache.

"That was so sweet how you helped that kid in there Foxy." Storm said and tried to wrap his arm around Fox's shoulder, but Fox grabbed his wrist, twisted it, and pushed Storm back easily since the lupine was in such an exposed state.

"Don't touch me Storm or I'll break it next time." Fox growled as he walked past the grounded lupine.

"Oh you're no fun." Storm said before propelling himself up off the floor by pumping his legs up in the air. Despite Fox's aggressive action, Storm continued to follow his shorter friend and to the people who witnessed the pseudo-fight, to them it appeared to be just over-forceful horse play. Because of this, no Jedi instructors were notified.

"Why are you still following me?" Fox groaned as he looked at a small holo-map of the enclave.

The grinning white wolf shrugged. "No reason, I'm just bored and interesting things happen around you."

"You mean that pirate raid?" Fox grunted as he glared at the still beaming wolf. "That was because I was with my dad, other then that nothing exciting ever happens to me." Fox lied, trying to get Storm to shove off but as luck would have it something interesting was about to happen again. The same fox that Fox had helped was back and out of breath.

"Hello, Mr. Sabbath." He panted.

"Hey… kid." Fox replied.

"Your presence is required down at the sparring rang. As is yours Mr. Storm." The grey vulpine said when he turned his lime green eyes to the wolf. Fox avoided looking at Storm but he could still see his smug look through the back of his skull. "This way."

Rolling his eyes, Fox followed the smaller vulpine towards the sparring range. Along the way, he began to feel calmer as the mass amounts of plants, flowers, and trees that grew freely all around the enclave, slowly subjugated him to their majesty. Even the petite flowers nestling in a small crook of a giant tree held their own sense of nobility. As he followed, Fox hardly noticed all the people whispering about him and Storm. The life force around him was so intoxicatingly beautiful; he wouldn't have cared if Krystal was trying to kiss him right now.

"We're here."

Fox blinked and assessed his surroundings. To his dismay, he saw only a few people practicing with Lightsabers while most were practicing with wooden swords or Vibro-blades. He disliked Vibro-blades mainly because of their heavy weight but wooden swords were just adding insult to injury.

"Thanks Kid." Fox said and took one of the wooden swords from Kid that he was holding.

"Yeah thanks Kid." Storm said as he took the second wooden sword.

"My name's-"

"So who are we fighting Kid?" Fox asked since Kid was speaking so quietly he didn't hear him pipe up about his real name.

Kid almost mustered the courage to tell Fox his real name, but decided against it as Fox began to swing the sword around his body with sublime grace to test its weight.

"It's a free-for-all today." Kid said and clenched his sword's pommel as Storm began making heavy swings that could potentially break bones. "Twenty students all fight in the same ring until only one is left standing."

Fox cocked an eyebrow. "Interesting…" He said and picked up another sword from the rack hid got theirs.

"Two swords Fox? Are you compensating for something?" Storm chuckled under his breath so that Kid wouldn't hear. But since Kid was even closer to him then Fox was, that was like whispering past someone. Fortunately, Kid and the other apprentices led a sheltered life and had no idea Storm was referring to Fox's junk, not his skill.

Fox ignored that one and decided he'd just hit Storm in the head with both swords later.

As the trio made their way to the largest ring in the middle of the range, Fox checked out the competition. None of the students looked threatening but they were just kids about the same age as him, and Krystal didn't look threatening at all, but she was probably the only one that could give Fox pause. Once at the ring, Kid showed Fox where they were all supposed to stand. Storm was on the opposite side of the ring while Kid was just a few people down from Fox.

The ring was divided up into three parts, there was the dead zone (where people went if they "died"), the safety zone (the zone where it was safe to be until you stepped out, at which point it became another dead zone), and finally there was the actual ring, which was soft with dirt. The zones were separated by white sand and Fox noticed that the ring was incredibly scuffed up. There was a lot of training done here, and now that Fox was here, there'd be twice as much.

Fox twirled his swords around making him look like he had helicopters on his sides. There were a few students that appeared nervous, but the rest all had stoic expressions, even the females who were always skittish back on Corneria. Storm on the other hand looked like he was about to kill Batman, what with his creepy grinning. Just before Fox ran in swinging at Storm, Kid stepped forward.

"Okay everyone, typical free-for-all duel. One hit you're dead, only one winner, and no force powers." Kid announced to everyone in the fight as well as everyone watching.

Fox bared his teeth as he felt the static in the air. These students, these people were entirely different from those back on Corneria. There weren't mobs cheering for violence, the fighters were all extremely calm, and the intensity was vastly different. To best explain it, there was no fear before the battle, only a sense of complete serenity for the soon to come pain.

Kid bowed his head and returned back to his spot. Once he was back he moved into the simple Shii-cho stance. He quickly adjusted it however, when he realized his stance was different from the flawless position Fox showed him. Once Kid was adjusted, a loud voice shouted for the fight to commence.

Without hesitation, Fox ran straight into the thick of the fight. So adrenaline pumped was he, that he did not realize that only he and Storm entered the ring. Just as Fox and Storm neared striking distance, Fox leapt into the air and vertically attacked with his wooden swords from his right shoulder. Storm threw up his sword and narrowly kept Fox's swords from caving in his head. Fox's feet came to the ground and the two held each other in a gridlock. Fox pushed down with all his strength until the muscles in his arms nearly tore. Despite that, Storm had the upper hand because of his increased height and was able to push Fox back and immediately went on the offensive.

Fox ducked under a swift blow to the head but was unable to get a counterstrike in because of Storm's knee right at his face. Fox couldn't help but grin as he realized what a fool he was, right before the knee connected. The vulpine grunted and jumped back to offset the damage, but it still hurt a lot.

Once Fox's bearing was reestablished, and the blood was wiped off his muzzle, the vulpine chuckled. This was a side of Storm he hadn't seen. This Storm was more focused then the last time, more at ease. If he was going to have any chance of winning, Fox would have to calm down and listen to his instincts.

With a quick twirl of his swords, Fox reengaged the lupine. Fox attacked from his right shoulder with a vertical attack with his right blade. Storm blocked the attack by putting his sword straight out in front of him and the resounding crack shook his ears. A second later, Storm moved his arms over his head and had the sword block the attack that came from Fox spinning around and having his left sword slice at his back. Their swords collided but there was no defense against the ferocious kick right in his left thigh. Storm and Fox fell forward after the misbalancing blow. The white lupine staggered forward but managed to stay up while Fox judo rolled and quickly hopped to his feet.

Just as the vulpine reached his feet he leaned back just in time to avoid a killer slice from nailing his face. Without seeing who was attacking him, Fox blacked out and followed his instincts as he fended off the new attacker. The multitude of the attacks was mostly aimed at his head and Fox was hard pressed to hold off the attacks with both his swords. His guess was that he was under pressure from two swords or people at once. He couldn't tell because his eyesight was blurred because his eyes were open just a tiny slit. He didn't need his eyes since he was seeing with the Force.

Fox blocked three cuts at his head before parrying a stab and returned the gesture at the otter and hit him right in the gut causing him to expel all the air in his lungs and fall back over. The orange vulpine blinked and he could see again. He was a bit surprised to find himself in the middle of an all out war. He looked to his left and saw several students in a heated battle while to his right; Storm was in another battle but not for long.

The vulpine growled and stomped towards the lupine. Anyone foolish enough to get in his way intentionally or unintentionally was slain. Fox's second kill came from a poor mouse that was standing in his way. Not knowing Fox was coming until too late, Fox managed to cover the poor girl's muzzle with his arm and he slit her throat. Of course it counted as a kill but she wasn't harmed, which was lucky in comparison to the next obstacle in Fox's path.

A brash young squirrel charged Fox and tried to gore him but Fox simply twisted his body, avoided the blow and close-lined the squirrel in the neck. The boy went down coughing for air and Fox stabbed him, making the third kill.

"Three… four… five! I could do this all day!" Storm happily shouted, each number he said a kill. Storm parried a swing at his hip and lifted his sword to hit the poor defenseless rabbit in front of him but Fox stabbed him in the back before Storm had a chance. Once he realized he was dead, the rabbit quickly ran to the dead zone.

"Aw what the Hell Fox?" Storm whined. "You damn kill stealer! I'm going to give you a bad play review and report you on Live!"

"Shut up and fight me Storm." Fox sighed as he blocked another apprentices' attack at his left flank.

"Uh, maybe later Fox. How about we take care of these guys first?" Storm said as he became engaged in a three way fight.

"Ugh fine." Fox grumbled before he swung at a beaver. The beaver blocked the attack easily but the attack was just a ruse so Fox could shank him with his left sword.

As time wore on, the contestants began to die out slower because the less experienced were weeded out. Fox and Storm held their own quite well. The vulpine was impressed with himself with how much he had improved over the last two weeks training with Master Vane and his father for that one day. He did not know it, nor was anyone else aware but it was because of the time spent with Krystal did his combat skills improve so much. With Krystal fighting by his side, he learned through watching, studying, and listening to her technique through the Force. That combination bled into his mind and was deluded by his own style into his own unique technique. He was swift, fierce, and aimed for killing blows most every time, whereas Krystal focused more on inflicting disabling wounds or disarming her opponent.

Luckily for Fox's opponents however, he was using a blunt sword and didn't wish to kill anyone. The killing blows he inflicted on them were insipid compared to his all out attacks like he used against Storm and even Krystal. Storm he personally would like to see dead, but as for Krystal, if he didn't try to kill her, he wouldn't stand a chance. Of course he still didn't in many ways but he was catching up with her one step at a time.

Finally Fox and Storm whittled the fight down to four others. Fox saw the two duos battling it out and caught Storm's eye.

"How bout it then?" Fox asked as he stood tall and cockily. "You ready to lose?"

"I'm not even tired yet Fox-boy but you're already sweating!" Storm replied confidently. "If you don't want to sit down and take a quick wittle nap and rather rush to your defeat," the lupine goaded and lifted his hand, "then come on little man." He said pulling his fingers forward, motioning for Fox to bring it.

But Fox was about to bring it all, put it on the table, assemble it, put in the batteries, break it, send it back, get a new one, and repeat. One way or another, Storm was going down.

"Whatever you jolly green giant." Fox countered. "By the way, you look fat in those robes."

Storm's muzzle fell a little before he growled and charged Fox himself.

"Nobody calls me fat ya stupid daddy's boy!" Storm shouted as he unleashed a powerful barrage of blows against Fox who was now wishing he hadn't opened his mouth. Apparently Storm took his personal weight personally and hated it when a person attacked his weight, thus resulting in a personality change. Fox noted this and crossed his swords above his head to stop Fox from hitting it with his sword.

"Hey, it's okay Pillsbury doughboy. Don't get your thunder thighs in a twist!" Fox couldn't help but say and moved to poke Storm in the stomach with his sword but the lupine jumped back.

"Oh ho, ho, ho! You are so lucky we can't use Force powers bud." Storm threatened.

"Yeah, because I'd have to clean the mess off the floor after I got done with you!" Fox laughed and closed in on Storm.

The younger fighter was playing into the older one's trap perfectly. Fox learned that the best way to beat an opponent bigger and stronger then him was to become smarter then him. Storm just barely avoided a shank to the gut that last time because he was fighting with his frustration and anger, not his mind and cool. Sure Storm was hitting a lot harder now, but it was getting easier to fend his attacks or just avoid them.

Fox watched the lupine move to the right slowly, and Fox matched his movements. They began to circle each other like beasts in the wild. The battle around them ended moments ago but the sole survivor Kid stayed out of it. He wanted to see what his new "friend" could do. They weren't really friends exactly but Kid felt something for Fox, a sense of loyalty and obedience. The best comparison he could make was that he revered Fox as a superior officer and would follow him wherever. The other students however, were puzzled by their new peers. They fought with such emotions, passions, and strange styles that none of them could fathom it. They were all trained to kill such things like fear, anger, and hate yet these two were wielding them, one better then another however. The duo's skills were also being evaluated but this was more a test from the hidden Jedi standing by always watching.

Suddenly Fox and Storm stopped and an uneasy silence filled the room. There were no more jokes, taunts, fear, or limits. Fox and Storm spoke to each other on unreadable channels just before they both resumed their fight. The rules that were laid down were now being bent, no more one hit your dead pussy bull, Force powers were still off limits though, this was a test of skill, endurance for pain, and pride.

Fox swung at Storm and Storm at Fox. Their main hands finally managed hits and both opponents felt the bitter bite of the other's strength on their arms. But that did not stop them. They matched each other, blow for blow, not even attempting to block the other's strike, no matter how savage it was. Even if they were going to get hit square in the face they didn't back down. They came at each other with such power, it amazed everyone who watched, even the Jedi on the sidelines watching.

Fox grunted as Storm's sword smacked him right on the right cheek. The vulpine then retaliated with a sharp jab at Storm's exposed ribs, effectively bruising the bone. Before long their crazed spar began to take its toll. The combatants became slow and sluggish as the resulting pain from so many injuries numbed and crippled their bodies. Fox got hit so hard in his left arm that he dropped his sword but kept on swinging. He returned the favor by giving Storm a gimp in his right leg.

Finally, after several horrendous minutes of brutal clashing, the two momentarily stopped, their eyes still locked to the others. They panted heavily and ignored the pain as best they could but they both reached the limit. Regardless, someone had to win and someone had to lose and neither party was about to succumb. Fox and Storm lifted their swords with both hands, ready to swing as hard as they possibly could to end the rivalry once and for all but just milliseconds before their swords collided with each other's heads, they stopped. The fox and the wolf fell down, so exhausted and beat tired (literally) that they couldn't finish their fray. They fell and lay parallel of each other, gasping for breath even while unconscious.

~X~X~X~X~

"You really are going to be the death of me one day Fox." The vulpine heard and was the first thing he knew once he'd come back from a restful sleep.

Fox's groggy green eyes opened and he saw his Masters sitting on either side. "Hey guys, what's happening? Did I win?"

"No, your new friend was the last one standing after you two broke the rules of the fight and decided to bludgeon each other with wooden swords." Mistress Shivana said sourly. From her tone alone, Fox knew she did not approve.

"Fox screw up bad?" The vulpine asked as his body slowly began to reestablish contact with his brain. It was like digging his way through a inbox full of fan letters asking for new updates, it was cute at first but then it became annoying fast.

"Very bad. Thanks to your escapade with Storm, the Jedi council is moving to cast us out." Krystal snapped from across the room at Storm's bedside.

Fox's muzzle fell as he gawked at Krystal sitting by his rival's unconscious body.

"What the Hell? You traitor! You should be at _my_ bed tending to _my_ wounds!" Fox nearly shouted but he found that speaking loud hurt.

"If I was over there it would be hard not to put you out of your misery!" Krystal snapped back and just to spite Fox she took Storm's paw in her hand.

"Back to the issue at hand Fox." Vane said, retaking Fox's attention. "With the stunt you pulled we're risking being kicked out. And since there is no better academy then this one, I intend to stay."

Fox growled in his throat at Krystal but once he flattened his bristling fur he looked at Vane. "So what do I have to do? Make a formal apology? Swear I'll never hurt another living thing again?"

"Oh no, it's much worse then that." Shivana puffed, her hair billowing slightly with her exasperated words. "You'll be sharing a room with Storm to prove that you two can get along. If you so much as call him a giant we'll get kicked out."

"WHAT!" Fox shouted and started coughing because of the horrible pain that flooded his inbox. The coughing also hurt.

"That's right, and your punishment for other misdeeds still remains mandatory Fox. Starting tomorrow you will tend to every plant in the courtyard, commons, all public areas, and anyone who requests you examine their own personal plants." Vane announced. "And don't think you're getting off easily, a lot of these plants on Papetoon leave excessive amounts of heavy foliage which you will have to pick up and discard. You must also prune the withering plants, water all of the drying plants, and harvest any fruits they might have. You are also not allowed to have any of the fruits, they are to be delivered to the kitchens, and they'll know if you ate so much as one berry and they'll report to me or Shivana. From there it will be Shivana who decides your added punishment, and I'm sure you and Krystal still remember."

Fox nearly had another spontaneous faint. There were so many damn plants in the academy that it seemed an unachieved feet for just one person. It would cut drastically into his swordsmanship training leaving him only with a bit of studying, and he hated studying.

"Krystal will help you but only for two weeks of your two month long punishment. She still must work off her misdeed." Vane said which didn't help Fox's dilemma. Even with Krystal helping he'd never get it done. He had classes to attend and those took several hours of the day. Maybe if he could cut a few-

"And you will attend _every_ class, no skipping classes so you can work on your punishment. Every class you miss adds another week to your punishment." Shivana said before Fox could formulate his first excuse to miss a class.

'F-bomb deployment imminent.' Fox thought to himself but luckily for him the launch order was lost.

"Well now. Since you're feeling a bit better, you and Storm should get to your new room, you'll have a lot to do tomorrow when you wake up." Vane said and stood up. Shivana and Krystal followed him out of the small hospital like patient room. The door closed behind him and the order for the F-bomb deployment was relocated and given.

"-"

"Will you keep it down bud?" Storm groaned and rolled over. "Ow, oh, oh geez, it hurts to breathe. This isn't good." The lupine coughed. "Coughing blood, can't feel my legs, things going dark… bubba… is that you bubba?"

"-CK!" Fox finished just as Storm finished with his own whining.

"What happened? Why does my body feel-"

"Like you took it from a rancor?" Fox finished for Storm.

"Well… yeah." Storm grunted as he sat up.

"My bad." Fox chuckled darkly even though it hurt him.

The lupine and the vulpine laid in their beds for a moment before they both tried to get up at the same time. There was a lot of complaining from the two fighters but eventually their prides propelled them forward. Not a single limb or inch of their bodies served just one complaint. For Fox, he felt like his left side was going to rip away from the lesser damaged right side while Storm on the other hand ached equally on both sides. The young apprentices started plucking their standing splitters out of their bodies as they hobbled out of the infirmary. They asked for directions from a fellow student and she pointed them in the right direction. She also gave Fox a rather long look before walking off.

"Well aren't you the ladies man." Wolf sniggered.

'Yeah, too bad the only one I want hates my guts.' Fox sighed in his head

"That little lynx was all over you, you should have asked her number." Storm said trying to troll Fox but the older vulpine wasn't in the mood to get into a flame war.

Finally, after asking directions two more times, the duo came to their new quarters. They found their belongings on one of two beds in the room. Fox took the right while Storm took the left. The lupine was asleep almost immediately but his snoring kept Fox up no matter how hard he tried to drift off. It soon came to Fox that he hadn't made an entry today. So, with limbs that felt like they were being worn down by a thousand and sixty four pounds of pain, Fox reached for his audio recorder.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~**_

_**Quick update real quick**_

_**Good news everyone! Exchange Student is halfway done and Hell 2 is almost done. Student was almost done a few days ago but I thought it needed a rewrite cause it moved too slowly. By the way, Saurian Prisoner is updated as well and keep an eye out for Honeymoon 2. And as for Male stripper… sequel? Well, I have some idea spinning around but nothing has yet come to fruition. Oh, and check out Project Ghost. It's a fan request that has taken till now to be completed, more on that coming eventually though.**_

_**Anyways back to Padawan. Not much to say except Storm will become a permanent main character, sort of Fox's partner in crime if you will or an eternal rival. A time skip is coming soon, I don't want to drag this story on with Fox's training so we'll skip to about the point he's nearly done and has to go through his last few trials. Other then that there's not much else to comment on that I can think of. Any questions will be answered so long as I can message you, so stop asking me questions I can't answer you personally anonymous reviewers. Oh yes, I did do another picture of Fox **_**and **_**Krystal; it's a brief glimpse of Fox's nightmare from chapter three (check out my Deviantart profile, links are on my main page here). You know, the one where he murders a lot of people and Krystal shanks him in the back. I also will post another picture, it's of Fox being sexay, don't ask why I did it, I felt like doing a picture for Sauria but then I wound up doing one with him dressed like Neo… and shirtless. I'm going to work it into one of my stories though.**_

_**On a final note I'm going to start updating more now that I've exhausted my new video game supply to the point I don't want anything to do with them anymore. I do work a shit ton more now so that will hinder me. This chap would have been up sooner but Sunday and the Fourth of July and work and the Navy screwed me over. Anyways have a good one peeps!**_


	19. Hot, Sweaty, Soul Crushing Labor

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Okay guys, just wanted to say I didn't mean to say Storm is Wolf, I was just using wolf as a descriptive name for Storm that I must have blanked that one in. One more thing, when I said "Fox's partner in crime if you will or an eternal rival" I meant them both. That's all; hope you enjoy Fox's punishment! …Wait, why would you enjoy that? One thing though, this will be the third to the last chapter we see of ten year old Fox and seven year old Krystal and nine year old Storm. The time skip is coming and it will be awesome how these kids turn out! This chapter is a chapter of Fox learning more of the dark and light side and does his punishment. Writing for Padawan is much easier then the rest of my stories which is why it is updated like a hundred times faster. Anyways, hope you enjoy this filler chap! A time skip of like a few months to a year is coming after the next chapter though, it will make the large time skip better to manage.**_

_**~X~X~X~X~**_

"_I hate trees, I hate bushes, I hate grass, and I hate leaves. Wherever I walk in these infested ruins there are hundreds of plants needing attention! The only thing that kept me from going insane was the great feeling I get from working so hard. It's a long and arduous task… but at least I get some training out of it. Krystal cleared about as many rooms as I did but we still have a lot more to take care of. What's worse is I busted my ass off and she looked only a little tired! And she did two more rooms then I did! My body still hurts everywhere and waking up today was like waking up in freefall. The second I moved, I hit the ground and survived. Storm worked me over good but I got him just as much. Oh well, I'm going to get some sleep, tomorrow's a big day. I'd swear right now but frankly I'm a little tired from all the cursing I did under my breath. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a… well never mind, I'm ashamed of myself even."_

Storm rolled over just as Fox put his recorder under his bed. Luckily for Storm, he wasn't snoring and so Fox didn't take his pillow and smother him. Something Fox learned about Storm was that the lupine was a very heavy sleeper. It took almost two minutes of prolonged breathing loss before he even rolled over.

The vulpine sighed and laid down in his bed. He rubbed his areas that weren't sore from bruises, but muscle exertion. It hurt just touching them but it loosened his taught muscles. Finally, Fox passed out just sixty four seconds from midnight.

~X~X~X~X~

"Ugh! Oh my God!"

"My arms! My legs! Oh God my head!"

The fox and the wolf groaned and complained when they woke up. Their bodies were sore from strenuous exercises and painful blows they received from each other yesterday. Since they woke up, their complaining soon turned into a bitching contest. Even something as pointless as complaining turned into a contest between the two. The duo described their pains in greater and greater detail. Fox compared his aching ribs to a person who got run over by a flying car and Storm compared his ribs to a person who got run over by two flying cars.

"Oh yeah? I feel like I got stepped on by a Rancor and then digested by a hoard of Gizka." Fox countered Storm's complaint.

"Oh really? Well, I… I feel like I got stepped on by another Rancor, digested by a Gizka… plus one!" Storm said.

"You can't do that! That's my whine!" Fox growled.

"Yes I can! It's different from yours." Storm countered.

"The plus one is the only thing different!" Fox exclaimed.

"And that makes it all different!" Storm said raising his voice to a near shout.

"I will come over there and I will work you over like I did yesterday! This time you'll be tied to the bed while I beat the snot out of you!"

"Oh bite my shiny metal ass!" Storm snapped.

"Your ass isn't metal or shiny!" Fox protested.

Storm looked right in the blazing green eyes of his rival. "Oh? So you've been checking me out have you? Well you're not too bad looking yourself, you know that?"

"No homo." Fox growled and looked away from the sniggering wolf.

Eventually, Fox decided it was time to get up. He still had an hour before classes started and he wanted to get a shower in before Storm did. Fox didn't know, but he guessed Storm was a hot water hog.

Fox began to roll over a bit but he hurt in every inch of his body. Storm saw him start to move and so he did to. He then saw Fox's eyes turn to the bathroom and Storm's hazel eyes enlarged. Storm didn't know, but he guessed Fox was a hot water hog.

So began their first race to the bathroom. Watching it would have made anyone feel ashamed. They moved like they had been lying in bed and in decadence for a year. Fox was the first one off the bed but Storm was the first one to reach his feet. Fox, who had flopped onto the floor, decided to crawl on all fours. Storm gimped as best as he could to the bathroom but he was about as fast as Fox's pain wracked crawling.

Eventually they reached the bathroom but Storm opened the door and tried to step in. Fox grabbed his left heel and started to gnaw it. Storm gasped in pain and tried to shake Fox off but he lost balance and collapsed on the vulpine, thus beginning a second bitch war.

"Why! Why must I be put through this BS?" Fox groaned from under Storm….

…. Thirty minutes later, Fox and Storm had come to a compromise and both took five minute showers. Their bodies felt rejuvenated and awakened after the quick showers and they were ready to start the day, although they were still wrapped in pain, they simply ignored it as best as they could.

Fox looked for a spare flight jacket and pants to wear but all of his clothes were dirty so he started looking at a few choices of apprentice robes. There was one that was all grey and one that was all brown. Sighing with discontent, Fox took the grey one.

"So you ready for today?" Storm asked as he threw his brown robes on.

"That's a stupid question. Who is honestly ready to garden an entire temple the size of two football fields-" Fox scowled.

"Actually I think it's more then that. About five I'd wager… maybe five and a half." Storm guessed out loud which made Fox feel like committing murder most foul and go to solitary confinement the rest his life.

"That's great Storm, I didn't know you could count that high." Fox said, now dressed in his robes. He honestly hated the apprentice robes, they were so monotonous compared to the bad ass Jedi robes, and they weren't as slick as a flight jacket and a red scarf combo. Speaking of scarves, Fox shrugged to himself, took out a red scarf from his trunk and put it on around his neck.

Storm laughed in a snarky, scoffing way but ended the argument.

"Wait a minute." Fox said when he realized something. He turned to see Storm and looked into his eyes. His eyes were lime green this time, but he could have sworn that when they first met they were yellow and this morning they were hazel even. "Weren't your eyes…?" Fox asked but trailed off when he got the confused questioning look from Storm. "Never mind." He growled before taking off.

As soon as Fox was gone, Storm sniggered and grinned to himself. As he laughed childishly, he pulled out a little flask like metal container from under his bed and pulled the colored contacts off his eyes and replaced the green ones with orange.

"This'll mess his mind up." Storm giggled evilly.

~X~X~X~X~

"-and that is how you disembowel a Mynock to get anything it has eaten back." The Jedi instructor said, wrapping up today's lesson.

If Fox wasn't so disgusted, he'd have realized he was as bored as he was in normal school. It seemed that all the apprentices did here was study, go to class, and take notes. There weren't any classes teaching them Lightsaber forms or Force techniques, which was incredibly dull. He also noticed the strange amount of looks he was getting from everyone including the teacher. Apparently the news of Storm's and his fight traveled all throughout the enclave in the few hours he was unconscious and asleep. They weren't looks of disgust or disdain however. Some were even looks of impress and vanity, especially from the girls.

Why were things so different here? Everyone back on Corneria was a cold, heartless, SOB that if he sneezed they'd perceive it as a nasal weakness and he too was weak.

Once the classes' questions were answered though, the Jedi dismissed the class and before Fox could bolt to the door in an orange blur, the teacher stopped him.

"Mr. Sabbath, might I have a word?" The otter asked just as Fox got to the door.

'Damn.' Fox sighed in his mind and inched away from the door. As the people passed him, they often said goodbye or other nice pleasantries. Not all of them though, just enough that made him feel like they were just being pleasant. He was nice back but he wondered if this was the last time he'd be pleasant to any of them. If they weren't going to be friends of play nicely, then they could expect the same level of chivalry.

Finally once they were all gone, the mink spoke.

"I'd like to welcome you to the enclave Mr. Sabbath. So few have there been times that new students are treated as such." The brown mink explained.

"Um… thank you Master." Fox said awkwardly. In all truth, he was expecting a lecture, a threat, or even a warning. "But what do you mean by the treatment?"

"Well," The mink said still maintaining his distance so Fox wouldn't become more uncomfortable then he already was. "Most new students are welcomed and enjoy a week or two of adjustment faze. They are also never asked to fight and show off their potential so soon. You should also expect for a request to demonstrate your prowess with the Force mind you. But as I was saying, you're already under careful watch, and a lot of people would give their right arm to train you themselves."

'Yeah, I bet a lot of people would like to beat some sense into me.' Fox grumbled in his head.

"No, not like that Fox." The mink chuckled. "What I mean is you, Krystal, and even Storm are quite interesting pupils. For one, you both demonstrate sublime skill with Lightsabers, you all are making strides larger then thought possible, and you haven't killed each other."

"Well we try." Fox chuckled which surprisingly made the mink laugh as well.

"Indeed. But I must also tell you something else Fox, something that makes you the most desired student amongst the master Jedi." The mink said. "We know about your father, many of us followed him in the Lylat war. Nothing would please most of us more but then to train the son of James McCloud."

"You know of my father?" Fox asked, not sure if he should be concerned or not.

"I know of him, and I know him." The mink said and sat on the floor as he was rather old and battle worn. "Your father might very well be the reason any of us here in the enclave are alive today. It was Master Vane that started the "Jedi defection," but it was your father who led it. He was a leader, and thousands of young Jedi flocked to his cause in protecting the Lylat."

Fox would have sat down as well if not for the pain through out his body. He had become intrigued with what the mink was telling him. He listened and waited patiently for the mink to continue, the only part of him that moved was his tail which only tapped his leg with the tip.

"He was an excellent strategist, a brilliant pilot, and a master swordsman. I had the honor of seeing him fight on the push on Katina." He sighed before continuing. "I couldn't help but watch him as he tore through the enemy. Watching you fight reminded us all of how he used to fight. He brought everything he had and threw it at the enemy, never backing down, never giving up, even when the pain outweighed everything else in his mind."

"Did you fight in a lot of battles with my father?" Fox asked.

"Sadly no." The mink sighed. "The only reason I was at that battle was because I was needed to heal the wounded. A Venomian death squad showed up but James took care of them without letting them take another life away."

Fox stared in awe of the mink. He was filled with hundreds of questions regarding his father and the war. Before he could begin to ask, the mink halted his effort.

"Well, I'm sure you can't be kept any longer. You'll need all the time you've got to scour the enclave of weeds, foliage, edible fruits, and everything else." The mink said to Fox's dismay. Fox was really not looking forward to all this gardening BS.

"Thank you for the story Master." Fox said and bowed respectively, something he didn't do often.

The vulpine stepped out of the classroom, leaving the old veteran to dwell with his memories when the overwhelming task reached Fox.

Everywhere he looked there were leaves, weeds, fruit bearing plants, and overgrown plants. The small courtyard he was in that linked to several classrooms was just the tip of the iceberg, one in sixty four rooms that were opened to everyone, and that wasn't including the apprentices' chambers. He was given instructions to grab supplies from the custodians' closets, and so he located the nearest one and set to work.

It took him almost two hours to get the entire courtyard cleaned, pruned, weeded, and harvested. While he worked, he often used the Force to aid him. He justified using the Force in such a manner by convincing himself that since he wasn't able to practice using the Force traditionally, then he might as well make use of the time he had now. Mainly he moved heavier loads of soon to be compost. The berries were easy to pick, but it was hard to resist their beautiful allure. It became even harder when he accidently squished a few and could smell their tantalizing juices on his fingers, calling to him for the vulpine to feast. But the fox digressed, as he did not want to do another God awful wall sit for disobeying an order.

When he was done, the vulpine had removed twelve large garbage bags of plant debris, picked enough strawberries and blueberries to make two gallons of mixed berry juice, and had pulled enough weeds to make two clones of himself. He was sweaty, dirty, tired, sore, and down right satisfied. The hard work that he put in had filled his need to physically work and exercise. The lifting of heavy garbage bags, the careful and precise picking of berries, and the repetitive movements of pulling weeds out from the roots was toning the fox, whether he knew it or not.

"One room down…" Fox began as he stepped into the next room but stopped mid sentence. "Only sixty three worse off rooms to go." He grumbled to himself as he moved to clean the bigger and messier room.

~X~X~X~X~

"Hey! Hey Mr. Sabbath over here!" A voice called out to the tired vulpine. His patience deprived green eyes flashed over to kid and his group of friends. He was in no mood to sit with them but he politely padded over with his tray in hand to decline his offer.

"Hey Mr. Sabbath, care to join us?" The younger grey vulpine asked.

"Thanks but as you can probably tell by now, I reek something awful." Fox said, pointing out the obvious. The others could already smell him but they were all being polite enough not to say anything. "I'm just going to eat real quick by the door and get back to work."

"What did you do to get such a punishment anyways?" A young green toad asked.

Fox looked at the amphibian and said. "You don't want to know kid."

"I thought I was Kid." Kid said confusedly.

"You are Kid, but I was calling him a kid." Fox sighed and reached for his milk. "Here, I don't want it. Water's the only thing that sounds good right now." He said handing the younger vulpine his dairy.

"Oh, thanks." Kid said who was genuinely grateful for the delicious chocolate milk he received.

"No problem." Fox said and walked off, eating his food as he went.

In all honesty, even if he wasn't stinking up the joint, he still wouldn't have sat with Kid. He had nothing against Kid; he just didn't want to get wrapped up in his little group of friends, or anyone's for that matter. The only friends he had were back on Corneria, not sure if he was alive or dead at the moment. Katt was the only person he connected with on Corneria, but she was so emotionally distant that it was like making friends with a star. Nice, but very far away.

Just as Fox was about to throw his tray into the trash, he spied Krystal amongst a group of students. His blood began to boil when he noticed that most of them were guys and they were all enchanted by her. To make matters worse, he noticed that Krystal wasn't even filthy, like she hadn't lifted a finger to clean this damn Jedi temple. He wanted to storm on over there and yell at her, but he was already on super secret double probation. One outburst like that and he was certain to get himself, Krystal, Storm, Vane, and Shivana kicked out. That would bring the untimely death of him for sure.

Brooding in his fiery rage, Fox instead decided to vent his frustration through hard, taxing, soul crushing labor and under his breath swearing. Even the serene beauty of the enclave couldn't quell his fury this time. The tranquil sound of the small streams, young potentials training together, birds and small animals going about their peaceful lives, did nothing to calm the fox. Some of the students were handing little nuts and berries to a group of small furry that Fox instantly recognized as Voorpaks. The Voorpaks were little balls of fur that looked like they had small little sticks for legs. Fox recognized them, because they were often kept as pets. He thought that they were all carnivores, but these ones seemed to be either omnivores or herbivores. Either way, he didn't care. As long as the little fur balls stayed out of his way, he wouldn't "accidently" squish one.

With his new found frustration and anger, Fox's work melted away in a blur of minutes and vile swears. He cleared debris with resentment powered muscles, picked berries but wound up crushing many, and he left great holes from where he ripped weeds out with extreme prejudice. The job was such easier as he only concentrated on showing Krystal up and venting his hatred. He drew much of his anger from the bodily pains he still had from when he and Storm clashed. It made moving a chore, let alone cleaning up all the plant crap everywhere.

When he was done he to a step back and inspected his work. He shuddered. Everything looked worse then from when he started. The ground was raked raw, the fruit bearing plants were damaged, holes were numerous and scattered everywhere, and he even made more debris from being so rough. He also felt bad and in no way did he feel good or relieved like when he enjoyed the work.

"Hello Fox." A deep and toneless voice asked from behind the vulpine.

Fox's fur stood on end and he jumped forward. He turned around baring his teeth, when he saw that familiar yellow fox mask. The young vulpine calmed down and bowed his head.

"Hello Master." Fox replied.

"How are you?" Vane asked.

"I'm… alright." Fox sighed.

"Really? I sense that you aren't feeling so well." Vane said and looked at Fox's work. "Something tells me it has something to do with this."

Fox looked back at the mess he had made. "Yes Master, you are right." He sighed.

"Tell me why that is."

"Well, the first room I cleaned I felt great at the end. I worked diligently and busted my as-, well I worked hard." Fox said, stopping himself from swearing in his master's presence.

"Indeed," Vane said and looked to the spoils of berries, and bags full of weeds and plant droppings, "you seem to have done just as much work as before though."

"Maybe master, but I made a mess this time. There are holes in the ground, I crushed a lot of berries, and I even made more stuff to clean up." Fox pointed out. "Now after it's all done, I don't feel like I did like last time."

"Hm." Vane hummed in his throat. "Perhaps you feel this way because instead of working for the good of the work, you worked to spite, show off, and show up people."

Fox mulled that thought over and made a stunning comparison. "So wait, could this be like…" Fox began but trailed off, thinking his idea was stupid.

"Go on." Vane said, trying to cajole Fox's idea out even though he already knew the connection Fox had made.

Fox shook his head. "It's probably stupid, but I thought that maybe this job I did… kind of represents doing something with the dark side and the other job I did was from the good side. Sure the dark side was easier cause I got most of my resolve from anger, but the good side made me feel better, more accomplished."

Vane stared at Fox for a while which made him feel even stupider for suggesting such a lame brained idea. Eventually, Master Vane started to chuckle and that only made it worse.

"Alright I get it, it was a stupid-"

"I'm very proud of you Fox." Vane said, surprising the vulpine. "That was rather insightful. You are right, this does resemble the outcomes. When you work from the side of good, though harder, you feel accomplish better results. But from the dark side, though easier, you cause a great amount more damage while accomplishing your task. Whatever you do, you'll in some small way affect everything around you, but with the softer touch and more passive good side, you put fewer things and people at risk."

Fox thought on that and looked back at his work. "Master… is the dark side stronger?"

"No, no, no." Vane assured the puzzled vulpine. "Quicker, easier, more seductive the dark side is."

"I still don't understand Master." Fox said shaking his head.

"Well, if I was to get you and Krystal to stop arguing and fighting all the time, I could break your legs every time you raised her voice to her." Vane said almost angrily which made Fox shiver. "That is an example of the dark side. However, if I want you both to stop fighting and I punish you by making you resolve your differences and give you chores for every time you fight, then eventually that will lead to you both getting along. You'll drop your hatred for each other and realize how important the other is to you."

"Ah… that straightens that out." Fox grunted, a little worried for his legs right now. "So then, if I use either side, I get things done, but the Dark side will never do it right?"

"Not the way you would have hoped no. Through force, intimidation, fear, anger and hatred your motives will be channeled. This will blind you to your objective and bring an end to you and your motives. However, sometimes the dark side is necessary."

Fox grimaced and looked around to see if anyone was around. When he saw no one that could eavesdrop he asked. "What do you mean Master?"

"This is not something you should go around repeating Fox." Vane said, stepping closer. "But once I feel you're ready, your father and I will teach you to understand. It is necessary for what lies ahead in your future."

"My future? You know my future?" Fox asked excitedly, his face brimming with anticipation.

"I know bits of it from what the Force has shown me," Vane admitted, "but I know what will happen in your future for certain." He said, causing Fox's tail to wag. "Since the beginning of time there has always been conflict. Forces of good and evil, light and dark, have always been trying to eradicate the other and obtain total dominance. Since you and I are here and so are the dark Jedi, it should be obvious that neither side has yet achieved total dominance. However, your father and I learned a great many things that were best left forgotten. Unfortunately, relics of the past always come back to haunt the present. We know of the existence of a power so great that's only purpose was to destroy entire planets after absolving all life into its power supply. This relic was called a Painkiller."

Fox's ears sank a little. "A Painkiller? My destiny is a prescription drug?" He said as let down as a person could.

"Hold your tongue still Fox. The Painkiller has destroyed billions of lives and hundreds of planets in its time. Your father and I lost more than you could imagine to its evil." Vane snapped, causing Fox to flinch and shut his mouth immediately. Once Vane was sure Fox would remain silent, he continued. "The Painkiller can only be operated by hi-force potentials. Anyone under a twenty thousand midichlorian count will be killed. Only a handful of people have existed with such a high count. You and Krystal are the only people that I have ever met with so many. The last pre-requisite is the wielder must be able to wield the Force entirely, that means both the Light and Dark side."

"I don't know what a Painkiller is truly, but if it or you fall into the enemy's hands, the Lylat is doomed."

Fox wanted to ask a question but he wanted to keep his legs from being broken. Instead, he decided to raise his hand to keep from speaking.

"Yes Fox?"

Relieved that he suffered no bodily harm, Fox asked. "Master, how do you know all this?"

"Our old Master, Hans Lee went off searching for a true balance. He came back years later, raving and ranting of it. We tried to bring him back to the Jedi Council on Corneria, but he disappeared just before we could arrange transport back from Aquas. We haven't seen him since." Vane explained, a trace of sadness just barely flavoring his passive tone. "James, Shivana, and I went looking for what could have caused his madness. We turned up nothing except an old Holocron mentioning the Painkiller for a moment. That confirmed its existence but we were no better off knowing what the Painkiller was. With that said, we can only know for sure that the Painkiller will be the Lylat's downfall if we can't prepare you."

"What about Krystal Master?" Fox asked after he raised his hand.

"Krystal detests the Dark side; she will never accept training that may corrupt her." Vane explained.

"Master, if the Painkiller can only be wielded by someone with a Midichlorian count of twenty-thousand and handle both good and bad, then why should we worry? There can't be more than a handful of people who fit the qualifications." Fox pointed out.

"True Fox, very insightful. However, our enemies are exceptionally strong and resourceful, so they will eventually find the person who can. Their networks of spies run deeply through the veins of the systems all throughout the Lylat. Even now they are hunting down potentials, incorporating them into their ranks, and training them to serve their purposes."

"Then we should do something!" Fox protested.

"We should, but we can't. If we tried to even track down the networks we'd become targets. They'd hunt us down before we found the first of their hundreds of spies. Until we have the resources and manpower, we're doomed from the start."

Fox grunted with disdain but accepted the truth. He wanted to stop the Sith and their plans, but there was nothing he could do now. One day though, one day he'd hunt down all the Sith and make them pay for all the injustices and harm they had caused him and the people of the Lylat.

"You're done for the day Fox. You should fix this one up and get some rest and training done." Vane offered but Fox shook his head.

"With all due respect Master, I'd like to keep going." Fox said. "I get plenty of training this way and I want to at least put a dent in my task before nightfall."

Vane nodded slowly. "Very well, I won't stop you Fox, but know your limit."

"Thank you Master." Fox said as Vane stepped away. The vulpine watched him leave and staved off the thousands of questions he always had when Vane was around. He really would have liked to have known how much he knew his father, but that seemed destined to be set in another time as dozens of students made their way through the courtyard. That was his cue to get back to work and fix the damage he had done along the way.

~X~X~X~X~

When Fox finally finished he had twigs, leaves, and bits of moss stuck in his fur. He was starting to ache with exhaustion as well as the pains from yesterday. So, with his fifth room done for the day, Fox started on his way back to his room. People saw just how tired he was and kept their interactions with him quick. They just said hi or good work and walked off. Fox would thank them but he would also keep their conversation brief. All he wanted to do right now was crawl into the shower, let the hot water cleanse his body of filth, grime, and pain, and then finally slink into bed.

"Hi Fox." A familiar voice amongst the many he had heard today said just as he made it to the younglings' quarters.

Fox's ears perked up and he looked to his left to see Krystal reading a rather large book nonchalantly in a corner with a potted plant next to her, a table in front of her, and another chair that remained vacant. He was a little upset she didn't look so tired but he padded over to her anyway.

"Hey Krystal." He replied and stood by, waiting for her to say something else. It took a while, but Fox eventually realized she was just saying hi as he passed by and that her book had more interest and attention for her then she had for him. He cleared his throat and she finally looked up from her book.

"Oh you're here still?" She asked and grimaced at the filthy sight. "Wow Fox, you look awful."

"Wish I could say the same about you but I don't think I ever will be able to." Fox replied.

Krystal furrowed her brow and tried to decipher whether that was a compliment or an insult. She eventually landed on compliment, but it was a rather beguiling one.

"Thank you Fox, I guess." She said after some debating.

"It _was_ a compliment." Fox assured and stood behind the only chair next to the small table Krystal sat behind. "So how was your day? Get much done?"

"Oh yes, I got seven rooms done today, spoke with Master Vane, and even found a good book at the library. All in all, good day today." Krystal replied in an astonishing happy tone. It seemed all this close contact to life and nature was just what the usually high strung and tempered vixen needed.

"That's good; it's also good to hear you so happy." Fox pointed out and let his pride go on hurting in a little secluded roost of his mind. Krystal managed seven rooms while he only got five.

"Yes, I don't know why, but I feel at peace here. It's like all this… life around me is affecting me." Krystal said as she fiddled with a small branch of the potted plant in the corner. "I really love it here, and all the people here are a league above those on Corneria."

"I'll say. Although, I miss a few." Fox said thinking of Katt, Charlie, Lucy, Fara, and the rest of his friends back on Corneria. Charlie and Lucy were probably already off world by now, but his friends probably still remained in their homes with their families, not caring about things that were greater then the latest score in a sports match, with the exclusion of Katt and Fara.

"Indeed. I wish we could have brought Katt along, she was just starting to get the hang of things." Krystal sighed. Her nose started to twitch as she took in a strange scent. The smell was coming from Fox who at a brief glimpse, looked like he'd reek of something awful, but instead he had a rather earthy smell. It was a nice smell, one she'd like to have sniffed from the source if it wasn't on him.

"Umm, you better get going." She said suddenly. "We've got a lot to do tomorrow and you look like you could use a good rest and shower."

Fox was put off by her sudden expulsion from him, but he shook it off because she was right. He probably smelled terrible and he was about to go remedy that.

"See you later Krystal." Fox said, waving his hand goodbye.

"Goodbye Fox." Krystal replied, returning her attention to her book. Even after the vulpine was gone however, his new smell remained, and all focus on her book was continuously demolished every time she caught a whiff of him. Eventually she scowled to herself and walked off but then a few girls took her spot, saying how nice it smelled over here.

~X~X~X~X~

With his shower complete, his fur sleek and shiny, his muscles feeling a bit better, Fox decided it was time to catch some Z's. But first he pulled out his audio recorder after confirming Storm was out cold.


	20. The Dark Night of a Mercenary

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys, turns out last chapter wasn't so much filler after all. My bad!**_

'_Oh boy. Life is awesome when you don't have to pick up plant crap all day long. For the first time since I got here, I walked by a pile of leaves and didn't have to fetch a rake… even though I almost did. Storm got into a fight with an instructor today, something about love, forbidden, and crap. I don't know I was drifting in and out… honest! Anyways, afterwards he and some girl, named Rarity, and I went to the sparring grounds. We were having a good time but then… _**She**_ came. _**She**_ beat us so many times, it could have been sixty four times. Sure we got close sometimes, but… _**She**_ always kicked our asses. Our teamwork and attacks were all so well coordinated and perfect, but _**She**_ brushed us aside like we were a bunch of kids waving sticks at… _**She**- um…**Her**_! I'm as sour about life as one can get, and about as sore as one can get, I'm going to bed.'_

Ignoring the painful stinging all over his body, Fox put the audio recorder back under his bed. Before he too fell asleep like his sleeping lupine friend, Fox went over to check on him one more time. Krystal hit the white wolf rather hard in the head in their last fight. If Fox wasn't so busy laughing, he might have been able to take advantage of Krystal's momentary split second of weakness after she left herself exposed from jumping in the air and twisting her body around to swing at the surprised Storm.

He still had a pulse and was breathing just fine, in fact the nurse at the infirmary said he was okay, just a minor concussion. Krystal even said she tweaked her attack a bit so that she wouldn't hit him with all of her strength. Still, Fox was worried about him. Even though they started off on a rocky start, Fox was really starting to come around to the wolf. Storm would often lend a hand to Fox and was a great help during his punishment. Of course they had to be sneaky about it because technically it was Fox's punishment only, but Storm often got bored and wanted to hang out.

When the vulpine was sure the lupine would make it through the night, he decided to follow in his friend's suit and get some sleep. The boy had a lot of training ahead of him if he wanted to become a Jedi by the time he was twenty.

Fox crawled inside of his warm bed and curled up tightly into a ball, his tail wrapping around him for additional warmth. He smiled to himself as he fell asleep, happy because of how much pressure he managed to put on Krystal during one of their fights, at least until she countered and kicked his ass a few moments later

~X~X~X~X~

Fox sighed happily with a big smile on his face while he strutted down the courtyards of the Jedi enclave. Today, he was finally off probation and punishment, allowing him to go about the day freely studying, taking extra classes, practicing his swordsmanship, and of course catching up from that huge lead Storm and Krystal had acquired since his punishment began. He'd done his best trying to keep up, but he only had a few hours a week training.

"Hey Fox!" Storm called out from behind the orange fox, making him turn.

"Oh hey Storm." Fox said with actual enthusiasm for once instead of a very badly imitated one. "You ready for class today?"

"Totally. I stole- legitimately acquired these pencils and papers! I am ready." Storm said trying poorly to cover his tracks and holding up the mass amounts of papers and sharpened pencils that all ranged from stubs to new and freshly sharpened pencils.

Fox cocked an eyebrow. "Okay bud, just let me borrow a couple and I'll forget I ever heard that epic fail."

Storm muttered something to himself and handed over a few pieces of paper and one pencil from his hoards he had accumulated. Fox sighed but took the meager amount he had been given. He wasn't going to take notes, he was just going to sit in the back and doodle because the instructor today wasn't even a Jedi, just a historian. That said, the russet fox had already decided there was no way he'd learn a thing today.

When they got to class that's all he did for a half an hour: draw and goof off. He drifted in and out of the lecture while his friend feverously took notes, making sure to properly date the notes and bolded the words the instructor emphasizes. Eventually Storm realized what Fox was doing and squinted at him.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you taking notes of this?" Storm hissed under his breath and moved as little as possible to keep any unwanted attention away.

"Drawing." Fox replied as he applied the finishing touches to his masterpiece.

"Drawing what?"

"A tank shooting more tanks that are on fire at an outhouse with you inside it." Fox replied and showed the lupine.

Storm gazed at Fox with an unimpressed look and frowned. "Frankly your artistry is flawed, the flames all look the same, the tanks are very ridged, the outhouse looks like it was poorly constructed, and the scenery around it is lacking. Basically this picture leaves much behind that is desired."

"Everyone's a critic." Fox mumbled and started drawing a new picture.

"-which is why love is simply not compatible in the life of a Jedi. Love leads to weakness and fear that will only-" The instructor was saying and Storm auto-locked on that.

"Um sir, I don't mean to be rude but what you're saying is stupid." Storm said as he stood up making Fox perk up from his picture of another tank shooting tanks at another tank that shot tanks as well. Fox was surprised to say in the least at how openly Storm was voicing his opinion, and so confidently.

"Excuse me? Young man, the Jedi code forbids a Jedi of feeling such emotions as love because of the weakness it creates in the person. By loving another, you'll fear of losing them and will be influenced to protect them no matter the cost." The instructor said after recovering from the shock that a student would say such a thing.

"Sir, love is not a weakness; in fact I'd say it's more of a strength." Storm said, holding his ground without flinching. "If you love someone then you'll do anything to protect them! You forget the meaning of fear and your driven to protect the person you love!"

"That is _precisely _why it is a weakness young man!" The instructor countered raising his voice. "You _will_ forsake much to protect said person, and you will become clouded with _fear_ of him or her dying! Fear is a weakness-"

Storm bared his teeth and opened his muzzle to lash back but Fox reached up to him. Storm looked down and saw Fox shake his head.

"Calm down bud, it's not worth it." He whispered but Storm shook his hand off. The lupine turned to the instructor, ready to bite his head off but took Fox's advice. Instead of sitting back down however, Storm just upped and left. There was a long silence and the instructor looked rather smug and pleased that he had won. Fox curled his lip back in disgust and was about to get up and leave before a milky grey caracal stood up and walked out. Fox cocked an eyebrow and followed suit, letting the no longer so smug teacher continue his lecture.

~X~X~X~X~

"That idiot!" Storm nearly shouted and was loud enough for Fox to hear despite being quite far away.

His compatriot said something to him and even from so far away, the vulpine could tell she was calming him down. At first Fox didn't want to spoil what Storm had going on, but then he remembered the kiss Storm had ruined for him and Krystal. Fox grinned evilly at the realization that this was going to be his payback; for once _he'd_ be the blocker of a male rooster.

"Hey Storm!" He called out. "Wait up man!"

Storm turned around but didn't seem bothered by Fox's intrusion. When Fox got up to Storm he saw that he was indeed not bothered at all, even his blue eyes didn't show any signs of being upset.

'Wait… weren't they yellow the last… nah.' Fox thought to himself and scratched himself behind his head.

"So… that was something." Fox finally said, breaking the ice. Storm just grunted.

"Indeed it was." The caracal said which made Fox's green eyes turn to her and he was intrigued right off the bat. There wasn't a special click to her, but she was pretty. Her eyes were a dark grey color that were highlighted by her grey robes and even greyer fur.

"Hello, I don't think we've met." Fox said.

"No we have not, although I have heard a _lot _about you Mr. Sabbath." The caracal said rather professionally. His charms had no affect it seemed. Not that he cared, his heart was already taken, broken, and reinforced with a cold wall that had only one weakness; a blue vixen.

"Please, call me Fox." The vulpine replied warmly and held out a hand to which the caracal took lightly. "I see you've heard the good about me since you're shaking my hand."

"That I have, and I am not interested in your faults, those are your obstacles to overcome, as are all our own flaws." The caracal replied sounding rather sage like.

'She must have a good teacher to be so wise for such a young age… well however old she is.' Fox thought to himself but made sure to keep his mind busy with other thoughts such as sports and flying. It was a little trick he was making, to think about other things at random while thinking of what he needed to think of. He hoped it would confuse the, would be mental assaulter and throw them off long enough to get some brain juices flowing.

"Thanks for stopping me Fox, I was about to rip that guys head off." Storm sighed.

Fox frowned. "Well I can't have that now can I? If you leave, who's going to serve my punishments?" The orange fox chuckled.

Storm just rolled his eyes. "Whatever Al Capone. Rarity and I were about to head down to the sparring grounds. You want to come too?"

"Your name is Rarity?" the vulpine blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Yes, but most people just call me Rare, Rare will do." She said quickly and with a bit of distaste. Apparently the name Rarity didn't sit well with her but to Fox it was kind of special in the sense that it was so rare.

"Okay then Rare." Fox said, acknowledging the preference of the nickname over the true name. "If you two don't mind, let's get to it." He said and engraved himself between the two, effectively cutting Storm and Rare apart.

~X~X~X~X~

"You're pretty good." Fox panted and quickly wiped the sweat out of his eyes before blocking a new onslaught of quick little attacks and jabs Rare was throwing at him. When Fox managed to push her back and regroup she smiled.

"Thank you Fox, you're not the worst I've fought." She purred and before Fox could respond she attacked with a quick slash to his legs. Quickly moving to block it, Fox threw his guard down low but was shocked to find that Rare pulled back last minute and spun her body around, bringing the swing right at Fox's exposed head. Once more the blow stopped, just inches from its mark. Her feint had won her the match.

"I win." She said happily and pulled her wooden sword away from Fox's surprised face.

Fox scowled but smiled. "That was a good fight, good game." He said and held out his hand. Rare's eyebrows lifted at the sign of chivalry and good sportsmanship. She took the hand and shook it.

"Good game." She replied with a smile.

"That was a slick move at the end, I thought you were going for my legs and then I see your stick in my face." Fox said and ignored Storm's snickering.

The caracal shrugged. "I'm like that. One moment I'm here, and the next I'm in your face about to cut it off… well I'm not _really_ like that, my fighting technique is." She added quickly when she realized that she compared her personality to that of Hannibal Lector.

Fox nodded. "I understand. Well that makes it an even two and two… tiebreaker?" Fox offered but Storm stood up from the bench next to the ring Fox and Rare were in.

"Sorry Fox but tie goes to the challenger. Besides, I want a piece of her now." Storm said and glowed red when Fox started laughing from the pit of his stomach.

"Did you make a joke?" Rare asked who, like most of the apprentices, didn't understand the concept of sexual jokes and puns because of the complete lack of such things in their environment.

"No," Storm said as he glared at the giggling vulpine who was looking right back, "no I didn't."

"Alright you two, have fun." Fox said and moved to the bench to watch the fight.

As the two fought he couldn't help but see a few sparks even though there weren't any Lightsabers to make them. For some reason they fought really well against each other. Their techniques were the perfect counters to the others and neither made any ground all throughout. The smiles of approval and respect were constant through the fight. But the worst part was when they pulled back for a quick breather.

"You're really good." Wolf said as he panted to himself.

"Thank you. You're rather good yourself." Rare said and gave Storm a nod.

'Oh boy, here we go.' Fox thought as he rolled his eyes.

Storm blushed red but not because of the fight. "I, well… thanks."

'Aw don't lose it now buddy. You're so close.' Fox thought like an un-entertained heckler at a bad movie.

"You've got a great grace about you and-"

"Round two start!" Fox called out, ending their small somewhat mushy talk. Without arguing, they resumed where they left off.

Storm and Rare had advantages over the other but they didn't seem to matter. Storm had reach but she had flexibility. He was strong but she was quick. He could keep up but she didn't stop. He was tenacious but she wouldn't give up. After a while of a boring back and forth fight, Fox began to drift off and got up to check out other fights and see if he could get involved. He really wanted to be a part of another all out free-for-all and this time he wouldn't be trying to decapitate Storm so he'd be an even more effective killing machine.

Fortunately he found kid, but unfortunately for him he was sparring with Krystal. The young vulpine had to have been at least Krystal's age and had as much training as her, but he was still no match for the fierce vixen that took advantage of everything he gave her. He took a step back and she pushed him even further, he ducked to avoid a blow and she jumped clear over him while flipping around in air. She landed right behind him and stabbed the young grey fox in the back gently.

"You're dead." She reported promptly to the exhausted Kid. Fox let out a growl because of how cocky she was. Someone needed to take her down a peg or two but since he couldn't by himself, he needed allies. Fox turned around and ran to fetch Storm and Rarity, and together they'd take that bitch out.

~X~X~X~X~

A cloaked figure watched two laughing mercenaries. It was obvious at first glance that they were mercenaries because of the battle worn clothes and the faded red insignia of the two tridents forming bared teeth. The mercs were talking and laughing in a drunken blaze of inflated egoism. A young and perky rabbit made her way past their table just to have her hind groped. The woman yelped and dropped the tray she was carrying. She blushed with embarrassment and anger as she quickly picked it up and the two mercs laughed it up. The person watching the mercenaries simply drank from the near empty bottle. Their time would come, shortly.

Another hour of their antics later and the bar was deserted. All of the waitresses avoided them until their shouts for service scared them more then their touch. The second they came within range, one of the mercs started barking orders for more booze, while the other took some free shots from the waitress.

Another hour passed and they started to hobble away, much to the great joy of the employees. They didn't pay for their tab but no one cared, just as long as they left without tearing up the place. The figure watched them go out of the corner of his eyes. Without a word or call for his tab, he left. As he did, he left a credit chit and when the employees found it, they discovered to their surprise it was worth all thee of the patrons' tabs and then some.

The mercs walked down the deserted streets of the near pitch black neighborhood. The city was a dump where no part was safe at night. Gangs controlled the city; local government was just a façade that only pretended to lead. The gangs had everyone on their payroll, and not even the hardcore commando cops, as seen on movies, lasted a week. Drugs were cheap because despite the massive demand, there was a supply too large. That said, it was perfect breeding grounds for mercenaries for opportunity, profit, and an untimed death.

Kew wasn't always like this, but once Andross had seized it, everything went to Hell. People were conscripted if they had a connection to the Force, no matter how minute. Many of them died in the Sith academy on Venom, but Corneria did nothing to stop it. No one wanted to admit it, but Venom had grown strong, however corrupt, under Andross' rule. His armies were all loyal, strong, and well equipped, his technology improved daily, and more and more people fell to his influence around the clock. Corneria had grown afraid of the new kid on the block and turned blind eyes to most everything Venom.

It was here though, that a certain group of people resided that had attracted the very unwanted attention of a certain individual. That individual had a personal stake to settle here, and he'd settle it with blood.

"Did you see that peach with that sweet ass? God damn she felt nice and pretty." The tallest of the mercs laughed with a slurred tone.

"Yeah man! Did ya see the blush on her as she walked away? What a whore! I bet she'd have enjoyed… who the Hell is… is that?" The second growled when he saw the cloaked figure standing in front of them, blocking their path.

"Get out of my way blighter!" The taller one snarled as he swaggered up to the hooded man and attempted to shove him out of the way. In a flash, the outstretched arms of the drunken merc snapped into an awkward and disgusting angle. Before the pain hit the drunk's mind, a swift paw slammed into his throat, disabling the vocal cords. From there, the silenced merc fell to his knees, crying out in pain with a faint shriek that made no more noise then a stressed whisper.

"Why you-" The second merc managed to say before an unseen force slammed into his neck, effectively shutting the esophagus and crushing the cartilage within. He died moments later when he choked to death because his throat could no longer obtain air.

The cloaked assailant watched the remaining merc suffer on the ground for awhile. The greyhound could do nothing more but lie in wait for his end to come. He didn't want to die, mainly because he had no excuse to atone for his actions when he reached the after life. Some people still believed in gods, devils, heavens, and hells, including the greyhound now quivering in fear.

"Listen closely to me scum." The hooded man said calmly as he bent down to speak one-on-one with the greyhound. "You are petty trash, I can tell already just from smelling you. But you should take heart in knowing I don't want to kill you like I did your friend over there. If you want to live to see another dreary day in your pathetic life, you will tell me where the Hutts' hideout is."

The greyhound opened his mouth to speak just before he was cut off. "If you lie then you die, and I'll find more of your friends to ask."

Taking his chances for squealing, the greyhound made the wise decision to confess and not bullshit the man holding his life. "The Moist Grotto, up north." He admitted through a coarse throat before grunting with pain as a surge of throbbing hurt pulsed from his arm. It seemed that the pain had taken a while to reach his mind, but now that it did he knew he needed to see a doctor immediately.

The man smiled at the smart greyhound before pulling out his blaster.

"W-Wait! You said you weren't going to kill me! You said-"

A quiet bolt or red energy drilled a hole through the greyhound's head and silenced the young mercenary's life. The killer stood up and holstered his blaster at his right hip, just below his Lightsaber with a name etched into it: James McCloud.

"I said I _didn't want_ to kill you, not I _wouldn't_." The vulpine replied despite how pointless it was to talk to the dead. With his cryptic words hanging in the dark air, James turned around and left the bodies to rot on the streets next to all the rest of the filth.

~X~X~X~X~

Women were dancing everywhere. Women of all species, canine, lupine, feline, swine, simian, reptile, avian, every species was dancing erotically for the enjoyment of the patrons. Many no longer had clothes, but a thin little G-string where the onlookers could stuff printed credits down. There was a woman to fit everyman's fetish and for the right price she was yours for the night. None of them did it by choice; they were forced into this life since they were kids. Orphans rarely have any say in their lives, especially when said orphan is a slave. In fact, many of the girls were not even of age, yet they were still forced to dance, violated, and often hurt night after night.

James watched with disgust as a group of men watched a young brunet rabbit, who was probably just turning sixteen, with hungry eyes. He did nothing to stop them however, he just walked through the club and the manufactured fog that covered the floor from the waist down. Many sick deeds took place in that fog for the right price.

The vulpine looked around and through all the lasers, the dancers, the horn dogs, and the filth he spotted his objective. Getting in was simple enough, breaking twenty armed guards' spines with the Force was child's play to the outcast Jedi. A penthouse that hovered above everything else held the very person James had come to this wretched planet to see. He was risking detection from the Sith, death, and worse if he was caught, but a certain issue had to be resolved with the leader of the Hutts.

James' ear twitched as he felt a very nervous and frightened mind approach him. He turned around and nearly scared the life out of the trembling poodle that was approaching him.

"H-Hello sir!" She whimpered, her near-fully exposed body completely taught because of how frightened she was. "Welcome to the M-Moist Grotto. My name is F-Fay Vanzetti and I'll be your escort tonight. For the right price I'll," the poodle said before swallowing hard, "…I'll be even more tonight."

James stared at the young woman and became enraged. The mix of fear, sorrow, and grief assaulted his mind with a burning lust for vengeance. Still, the vulpine smiled savagely because he felt that the canine's boss was watching her intently, making sure she got him to pay for all her "services".

"Lovely thing you are." He said and reached his left hand around her side and forced her close, her young underage body pressed against his older experienced body despite how wrong it made him feel. He noticed her boss's approval as he went to go check on the other girls. Once James was sure the man wasn't watching he whispered into her ear. "He's not watching, I'm not here for a good time just to let you know. I'm here for someone. I recommend you get somewhere safe before things get messy."

The poodle's eyes widened and she breathed heavily. "W-What are you going to do?"

"Nal'Hutta has threatened my family; I'm going to threaten his existence, and anyone else's who gets in my way. If you're smart you'll leave now." James said and released her before turning on his heel and stalked off towards the penthouse elevator.

The canine watched him go and could not believe her luck. Not only was she going to be free of this Hell, but the man responsible would pay for it. She watched the man walk off and prayed that her newfound Hero would be all right against the thirty armed guards up in that penthouse. She didn't stick around to find out though, she ran, she ran right out of the club and ran even faster when she found the bodies of the perimeter guards outside.

James sighed as he unhooked the clasp that firmly held his Lightsaber at his side. It had been so long since he had killed someone really important. With this death there'd be a power vacuum on Kew that would consume many lives and gangs. With any luck, more evil then good would be consumed, but on a planet like Kew, there was more evil then good, so chances were good better results would follow.

The elevator reached the top and immediately two guards were in his face.

"Who the fuck are-" They said before a red beam of energy cut them down.

A fat simian surrounded by women was awoken from his heaven and introduced to the beginning of his Hell. But he was a man of power, and men of power have more than two guards.

"What the Hell!" He yelped when he saw two of his best fall to the floor in many pieces. The burning green eyes of the vulpine penetrated his heart and fear placed a death grip on him. The red blade in his hands reinforced the terrifying presence in his heart and he was barely able to move. "K-Kill him! KILL HIM!" He shrieked as the women fled and the guards all pointed their guns at him.

Lasers lit up the penthouse and threatened to turn the elevator and everything inside of it into a smoldering heap. But James would not go down. He casually lifted his hand before any of the shooting and erected a wall with the Force that repelled the lasers all around the room. None of them came anywhere near the cowering slaves but many of them were reflected the lasers back at their source and fried the gunman.

The few that remained abandoned their guns and reached for the Vibro-blades at their sides. Three of the remaining six from the original thirty rushed James but were mercilessly cut down. James hacked the first's head right off before stabbing the second through the torso then slicing through bone, flesh, and organs to cut the other in half. It all happened so fast that by the time their bodies hit the floor, the others realized they stood as much chance as their now dead comrades did. Before they could run however, James placed two unyielding hands around the trio's throats with the Force until they lost all breath and life.

It was over. In just thirty seconds, James slew thirty veteran mercenaries without breaking a sweat. The Hutts' leader knew he was going to die, he knew when he saw those rabid green eyes pierce his soul with that fierce glare. He attempted to jump out of his cushiony chair but the bones in his legs shattered as if they were just rotten twigs attempting to hold all two hundred and fifty pounds of his filth. He screamed but air stopped coming out when James' own hand clasped down on the ape's throat.

"Nal'Hutta." James grunted and squeezed all the tighter. "You crossed the wrong man when you sent those cannon fodder mercs after me. Normally I'd have shrugged it off and let you live, but you put my son's life in danger."

"W-Wait! McCloud! Don't kill me! I didn't mean to attack your son! I'm sorry for what I did!" Nal'Hutta pleaded for his life in his mind. He knew James was a Jedi even before he ordered the hit on James, Andross had told him so in person when he requested the hit as a token of his loyalty. "Please don't kill me! I'll make you _and_ your son richer beyond your wildest dreams! I didn't even want to place the hit on you!"

James cocked an eyebrow and lessened the pain in the man's legs so that he could think a bit clearer. His healing powers had their limits; all he could do was lessen the pain and soothe burns.

"If you didn't order the hit then who did? Surely you'd want me dead after all the trouble I caused your gang." James growled.

"Want _you_ dead? Hell no! If you worked for me I'd have made it worth your while for taking out O'Donnell and his brat! With them out of the way I took over Star Wolf and everything it controlled! Thanks to you, the Hutts came into existence-" Nal'Hutta explained mentally before the pain redoubled and drew him to the edge of insanity. After a while, James relaxed his pains.

"Because of _me_, the Hutts won't exist after today." James snapped. "Now tell me who ordered the hit!"

"An… Andross! Lord Andross ordered the hit! He told me that you'd be at Papetoon and you'd be vulnerable. He ordered me to send my best pilots to kill you! I wanted no part of it, I swear!" The grey ape reassured as he gulped for air like a man that almost drowned.

"If you can call those fools your best." James sneered. "My son managed to outfox the Hell out of them for the longest time, and he's only ten! You chose the wrong side Nal, and now you die for it." James said and stabbed the ape through the heart with his red Lightsaber before Nal'Hutta could protest.

Nal'Hutta grunted but said nothing more. He slipped away quickly but not peacefully. With him dead, James stood up and covered his head with his hood. He looked over at the women in the corner of the room most unaffected by the fighting. Some were clutching Vibro-blades but their grips were shaky at best. None of them had guns James noticed. Perhaps they were too scared and shaky to hold them, or maybe they were only holding the blades as a way to feign courage. If they picked up the guns they'd look too aggressive, but they still wanted to protect themselves so three of the seven picked up the blades.

James smiled. "Lovely night we're having, isn't it?" He asked which greatly confused the slaves. Without another word the vulpine left the penthouse. He reached the main part of the club and smiled when he came face to face with the rest of Nal'Huttas men who were all drawn to the elevator because of the Hellfire of gunshots a moment ago.

"Kill-" One began to say before a lightshow much deadlier then the laser-show erupted from James' right index finger.

The Force Lightning Storm obeyed its master's will and cleansed the room of every man within. The woman were all spared for they were the only ones who didn't want to be here. It was a grisly mess as fifteen bodies exploded in flames as lightning ran up and down their bodies. For a moment, James thought he overdid it, but he remembered the horrible things they had been doing moments before. A Jedi wouldn't have killed anyone tonight, he or she would have turned them into the police, but James was not a Jedi. The good were spared while the evil were burned and fried alive by fire and lightning.

With the Hutts now in ruins, James left the Moist Grotto triumphant and with a clear conscience. Not only was his son safe from the now decadent gang of the Hutts, many slaves were freed. But it was all just another day in the life of the Lylat's top mercenary.

"I hope you're ready Fox, cause when I get back your _real_ training begins." James said to thin air as he walked back to his shuttle that would take him back to the Great Fox. He pretended not to notice the person following him, but she wouldn't leave him alone even if he threatened her. Like it or not, the poodle Fay Vanzetti was going to become the next part of his crew, whether the vulpine agreed or not.

~X~X~X~X~

Fox sneezed at random and Krystal took that opening to jab him in the ribs, bruising them yet again. Fox clutched his injured bones and stepped back, dead in the spar. Not even a single bruise marked the vixen's body, nor did one tarnish her perfect record. She had to admit that Storm, Fox, and Rarity were good, especially as a team, but other then that she didn't have anything else to say. They weren't the best she had fought and despite the odds, Krystal beat them all.

She did notice something rather odd though. During the fights, Fox seemed to lead the others even without talking. They took up his cues and performed brilliantly in their jobs. Storm heavily assaulted Krystal, almost matching her finesse and skill but was still quite out-leagued. Rare on the other hand pestered Krystal with sneaky attacks that distracted the vixen which allowed Fox to step in and finish off the off hand vixen. She saw through her attacks every time however, no matter how perfectly synced, and she always came out on top and unscathed.

Krystal smiled and rolled her eyes. "That's game Fox." She sighed and shook her head at the glaring vulpine. She could sense the hurt pride and desire to continue, but he'd had enough for today. Fox's skill was starting to slip as he gave into aggression and frustration.

Biting his lip, Fox nodded. He also knew he had reached his limit for the day. Storm and Rare were also exhausted as well which cut their already micro chances, in half.

"Good game Krystal." He said and held out his hand much to Krystal's surprise. She looked cute when the surprise reached her face and eyes but Fox didn't take much pleasure out of it.

"This is new Fox." She said shaking his hand gingerly.

"Don't get used to it. One day it will be you offering your hand in defeat." Fox snapped a bit more fiercely then he wanted but he didn't care. He had a new set of bruises to tend and a freshly tarnished ego to stroke back to life.

Once again Krystal rolled her eyes. "We'll see Fox." She said before walking away through the deserted sparring range: all the other apprentices went home hours ago when the sun went down.

Fox just smiled despite his sour about life mood. "That we will Krystal. That we will."

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys, feel real good about this chapter. Next chapter is the last before the time skip and then we reach Fox and co as teenagers. At which point the last act will be drawing near. I don't know how much longer this story will be, but it's still got some life and things I want to do with it. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, don't be alarmed at what I just said, and have a good one peeps!**_


	21. End of Innocence

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~ Hey peeps! Last chap before time skip! There's going to be a tournament but I ignored most of it so Fox and Krystal can have at it! Just thought you should know.**_

'_I know it's been a while since my last log, but today is the day! There is the day we have a conclave wide tournament! I've been training for a whole month for this! Even Storm and Rare have been spending an awful lot of time together perfecting their techniques. I'm sorry to say but Storm is no longer the brute he once was. He actually has fluidity and grace. I hope someone else knocks him out of the tournament before I have to fight him. Anyways, I got to go, it starts in an hour.'_

With that last note, Fox threw his audio recorder under his bed and sped off to the training grounds. He was like an orange and grey blur. His grey robes fluttered in the wind as he ran with his orange tail. The vulpine was excited for this. He'd finally be able to put his skills to the test. A whole day of sparring and he'd be all the stronger for it.

When he got to the training grounds, he was electrified with excitement. All around him there were people readying themselves for the coming tournament. Everyone was classified into sects depending on age. The younger apprentices, seven to eleven, were all in one group. That meant that there was a chance that Fox, Storm, Rare, and Krystal could all wind up fighting each other.

The rules of the game were simple. Force powers were allowed as long as they weren't lethal, training Lightsabers were to be used, there were ring outs, and the first person to land three physical blows via kicking or punching would win, or one Lightsaber blow would win.

Only about twelve signed up in Fox's division, four of those twelve were himself, Krystal, Storm, and Rare.

"Hey Fox!" Storm called out to the vulpine, drawing him in.

"Hey storm." Fox said as he walked up to him and Rare. "Hey Rare."

"Hello Fox." She purred. "Someone's excited."

Fox grinned. "You bet I am! I'm so psyched for this. We've been training our tails off for today for a whole month-"

"And you still think it will be enough." A lovely chiding voice came from behind the vulpine, making his fur stand on end.

"Hello, Krystal." Fox scowled as he turned around. "Lovely day we're having, until you showed up."

The vixen flared her ears. "Watch yourself Fox, if we fight today, I'm not taking it easy on you."

"Well at least the feeling's mutual." Fox countered which began a long back-and-forth trash-talk between the two foxes.

Storm and Rare just watched on the sidelines. The lupine rather enjoyed watching the emotional drama while the caracal was just plain confused.

"Is there… something between them?" She asked.

"Meh," Storm replied. "Those two have always acted strange. It's really funny though, when they start tuning everything out and go all out at each other. I was in a shuttle-port lobby and these two were pretty much a mini soap opera."

"Really?"

"Really. Everyone was watching them and only when I shouted… well, never mind." Storm muttered off, not wanting to blow the two fox's secrets that they both liked each other.

Eventually the clashing duo had had their daily fill of arguing. Krystal walked off with more victories then losses and Fox was left fuming.

"Can you believe her!" He growled and stomped off to get some frustration vented.

"Get used to that." Storm sighed to the confused caracal.

An hour passed before things started to get underway. Fox vented his emotions with some physical warm-ups while Krystal meditated her emotions away. The vulpine was pumped up and ready for action, while the vixen was serene and ready to act accordingly. Everyone within the divisions was assigned numbers via a random draw from the hat. The numbers were then randomized via computer and the matches were established.

Fox rolled his eyes. "Just great." He scowled when he discovered that his match wasn't until after the first two. In total, there would only be twelve matches and he'd be in two if he got to the semifinals.

"Cheer up Fox, just more time for you to prepare yourself." Krystal said as she walked up from behind the vulpine and stepped into the ring.

"Prepare myself for what?" Fox snapped.

"Defeat of course." Krystal said starring him down as she activated her dual Lightsaber.

Fox growled in his throat and folded his arms. He'd let her have that one because it would be all the sweeter when he made her eat her words. His confidence was high that he could beat her but then the match began.

A lot of people were watching stoically, including several adults, most of whom Fox did not recognize. Vane and Shivana were there but that was probably the extent of the list of adults that Fox knew who was attending the tournament. The mellow silence that surrounded the ring was soon broken by clashing of Lightsabers. Fox blinked and turned his drifting eyes from the adults to the fight.

"Winner, Krystal." Kid said as he helped the other kid who had lost.

Fox's muzzle dropped. He hadn't had his eyes away for more then ten seconds and already the match was over. Of course, what did he expect? Krystal's skills matched that of a true Jedi guardian. He hadn't faced her in a month and he was now beginning to wonder, if on the off chance he does fight her, does he even have a chance yet? That mischievous thought disappeared behind an iron wall of disdain as Krystal walked up to him and stood by his side.

"Don't worry; I'll make your fall quicker." She purred.

"Oh spare me." Fox replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Sorry, can't do that." Krystal giggled.

"Next fight, Aaron versus Terry." Kid said once he had cleared the unfortunate eagle from the ring.

Fox eventually zoned out during the fight. Sure it was interesting but it was dead even. He started looking around again and noticed that there weren't many people by him except for Krystal and Kid. Everyone else had their little groups and was studying the fight intently. The adults were all on stand by and some were nodding in approval of this fight or the combatant's skills. There was one person who struck Fox as odd however. The man was tall and had his hood up that covered his face but not his white muzzle. Fox could tell he was a man because of how broad he was, like a warrior.

'Wonder who that is.' Fox thought to himself before the fight finally finished. The cheetah managed to feign a fall and when he was on the ground he blocked a chop to the body and used Force push to send the simian back and out of the ring.

Kid stepped forward. "Winner, Terry." He announced and stepped into the middle of the ring. "Next fight, Fox versus Sly."

Fox growled with anticipation and strutted forward, acquiring several quizzical looks. He took the two Lightsabers Kid had for him and activated the dual green blades. His opponent only took one blade and his was a fiery yellow. The raccoon assumed the Shii-cho stance; he didn't look like he had a drop of emotion in him.

"Good luck." Fox said with a smug grin and took a couple steps back.

"And three… two… one… begin!" Kid announced and quickly jumped back in time to avoid a charge from Fox.

The vulpine quickly hammered the raccoon, hoping to catch him off guard, force his guard to break, and finish this fight quickly, but the raccoon was too swift. He managed to deflect the blow off at an angle that left them both exposed but neither could they strike with their Lightsabers. Realizing how precariously exposed he was, Fox jumped back and reevaluated his opponent.

The ringtail was skillful with the Lightsaber, but there was something lacking to his form, almost as if he wasn't using the correct weapon. Either way, it gave Fox an edge and he quickly exploited it.

Without mercy, Fox laid a crushing blow at the ringtail and when he tried to block it, Sly was sent to the ground from the recoil. Fox tried to stab Sly and end it there, but the raccoon quickly batted the green blade away. The vulpine growled and kept at it, all the while staying out of range of the Lightsaber his opponent was whipping around in a wild defense.

Whenever Sly tried to get up, Fox kept him down by threatening to chop him into pieces. Fox couldn't keep it up forever though, and sure enough, Sly managed to roll away and jumped back to his feet. Both the boys were panting.

"You're good." Fox complimented before rushing Sly again.

"You know what the pathetic thing is?" Sly asked as they reached a gridlock. Fox was bigger then the coon and was slowly pushing him back to the ground.

"What's that?" Fox grunted.

"I'm not left handed." The raccoon said and jumped to the side, letting Fox's sabers careen to the ground and send sparks flying.

The raccoon shifted the Lightsaber in his hands from the left to the right. Without warning, Sly had assumed the roll of offense and was pushing Fox back towards the boundaries of the ring. Try as he might, the raccoon was a completely new fighter and had managed to bring the match, which had stayed in the middle of the ring, to the very edge.

Fox looked back and saw his left foot was just on the line, one more inch and he was disqualified. A vision of Krystal laughing at him flashed across his mind just as Sly moved to heel-kick Fox out of the ring. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction and he dropped his left Lightsaber as he opened his palm.

The heel of the raccoon and the palm of the fox met but it was the coon that was sent reeling backwards. At the last second, Fox managed to pull some of the strength from inside and sent Sly back with a Force Push. The ringtail hit the floor about six feet away and before he could get the world to stop spinning, he saw a green blade humming right in his face.

"Winner, Fox." Kid announced as he stepped forward.

Fox smirked and removed the Lightsaber from the scowling raccoon's face. "You're pretty good Sly." Fox said and held out his hand for the raccoon.

The ringtail glared at Fox before he sensed the sincerity in the vulpine. Swallowing his pride, Sly took the hand. "Thanks." He grunted.

"We should train together sometime, I'm sure we could perfect both our techniques." Fox suggested much to the surprise of the raccoon who just wanted to skulk off and train strenuously as punishment for his failure. Yet this vulpine was having a strange effect on him, his loss wasn't so smart anymore, not with the bright vulpine trying to get all buddy with him.

"Y-Yeah sure." Sly replied. "I guess we could do that."

"Alright! You got to teach me that trick though." Fox said as the two walked over to Fox's spot next to Krystal.

"That wasn't a trick; I'm just trying to become ambidextrous. I can use my left fairly well but not as good as my right." Sly explained.

"It threw me off, that's for sure." Fox said as the next round began. "One moment you're all defense then you're all offense."

"Yeah, I train the defensive arts with my left so I can test people. I was testing you and decided that the best way to counter you was to copy your form since you were keeping me from using mine. But you've got size over me so…" Sly trailed off.

"You think I'm bad? Try fighting with that meathead over there." Fox said and pointed at Storm who was now in the ring fighting a sandy vixen.

"Who? Carmelita?" Sly asked, hardly able to keep his eyes off the vixen as she fought.

Fox took one look at the look on Sly's face and rolled his eyes. 'Oh boy. Is this the temple of love or something?'

"She's amazing isn't she? Probably as good as me if not better." Sly said as the vixen threw all that she had at Storm, not caring if her zealous attacks were exposing her to a quick counter. Regardless, Storm was having trouble anticipating her attacks and the recoil he received when he blocked stunned him long enough for her to get another shot in.

"She certainly is fierce, rather like a Cerinian." Krystal said as she watched the cobalt haired vixen hammer away at Storm's defense. "If she used Force Push right now, it would result in the fight you two had since Storm is not the most adept in the Force."

"I don't know, Storm can get really resourceful when he's desperate." Fox said remembering the first time he and Storm had at it. Of course this was a non-lethal fight so Force Lightning was strictly off limits even more so now, not just because it was a Dark Side power.

As the fight wore on, both combatants were exhausted, and Sly hadn't said another word, he was just entirely captivated by Carmelita. Fox was done checking girls out since it never ended well and he was too young, but even he had to admit she was pretty fine.

"Here it comes." Krystal said as Carmelita backed off from the intense shower of sparks and Lightsaber clashes. The sandy vixen raised her hand and sure enough, Storm went flying back out of the ring.

"Winner, Carmelita." Kid said just as the vixen fell to her knees with exhaustion. A lot of people swarmed to her but she pushed them back.

"I'm fine but… I can't go on." She panted.

"Isn't anyone going to check on me?" Fox heard the white wolf ask as he walked up to him.

"Stop being so dramatic you big baby." Fox spat and helped the lupine up. "Can't believe you lost to a girl."

"Excuse me Fox?" Rare asked from behind the vulpine.

"I meant a girl that's not as good as you." Fox nervously chuckled as his ears drooped with angst. The last thing he wanted was to fight an angry Rarity next round. She was almost as bad as Krystal when she was angry. She didn't give into rage or anger, she was just ruthless and highly efficient.

"I highly doubt that Fox." Rare said as she squinted at the nervous vulpine. "You better hope that we don't fight next."

"I'm sorry!" Fox called after the annoyed feline but she didn't hear him.

"Somebody is doomed." Storm sang in undertone and chuckled to himself.

"Shut up!" Fox growled.

"Next fight, Rare versus-" Kid called out while Fox silently prayed that his name wouldn't be called.

'Please not me, please not me, oh God! Please not me!'

"-Krystal." Kid finished.

"Oh shit." Storm said as the two girls walked into the ring. "Shit is about to go down!"

"You're telling me. Rare is a beast but Krystal is-" Fox started but Kid interrupted him.

"And begin!" He shouted and jumped back but neither Krystal nor Rare made a move.

Fox watched with a frantic heart as the fight remained at a standstill. He needed Rare to last as long as possible, wear Krystal down and possibly allow him to evaluate her form one last time. But as seconds turned to minutes, nothing happened. People were all wondering why they weren't moving, just glaring at each other. Then Rare looked at Fox and deactivated her Lightsabers.

"I give up." She said and walked to Fox with Krystal at her side.

The vulpine's muzzle dropped. "What the heck was that?"

"Oh Fox, Krystal would have beaten me for sure, and she told me she'd get you back for what you said." Rare sighed and pinched his cheek. "So I didn't want to tire her or give you an advantage."

"But how did you two-" Fox gapped.

"We had a little chat in her mind." Krystal admitted. "I laid out the plan, she surrendered, and I get to dice you up."

Fox shifted uncomfortably before retorting. "Yeah I'd love to see you try blue."

"Next fight, Terry versus Jack."

The rest of the tournament proceeded with more excitement then the fight between Krystal and Rare. Terry lost her next fight and then it was Fox up again. It was a quick match that Fox won thanks to his opponent's sloppy footwork that allowed the vulpine to trip him up and forced him to yield. Then it was another fight against two others. Because of the double knockout in Storm's and Carmelita's fight, the fight went to Krystal and the other kid since Fox just finished fighting.

"Well that was quick." Fox grunted when Krystal's opponent limped away after taking a slice to the leg.

"Don't worry Fox; we have the utmost faith in you." Storm reassured then whispered rather loudly to Sly. "Twenty credits says he doesn't last more than five minutes."

"Five minutes! He won't last two the way she's been fighting today." Sly sniggered; a bit eager to see Fox bite the dust after his own defeat.

"Oh thanks guys, you're the best." Fox scowled and stepped into the ring.

The vixen smirked confidently at the vulpine. It had been an open and shut tournament for her and now with Fox in her way of the title champion, victory was assured. Even with all his training with Storm, Rare, and Kid, there was no way he'd be able to match up to her.

"Very brave of you Fox." She acknowledged. "But it was foolish for you to even try."

"Your overconfidence is your weakness Krystal." Fox grunted in return.

"Your faith in your skills is yours." Krystal chided. "You won't last one minute."

Fox's muzzle wrinkled as he snarled at the blue fox. Before he could reply, Kid stepped forward.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our last match for this sect, Krystal versus Fox Sabbath." Kid announced as people began applauding. Many of the other sects had finished early and had clamored around to watch. A lot of people were interested in this fight simply because Krystal was partaking in it.

"We've had a lot of interesting and exciting matches beforehand, but I can proudly say that this will be the most exciting and best of all… or it'll be over quickly like the rest of them with Krystal." Kid added in under tone.

"Thanks Kid." Fox grunted.

"In a finals match, the number of physical body hits before an out has doubled but not for a Lightsaber hit. Ring outs still count. Now, without further adieu, let the final match BEGIN!" Kid shouted over the applause and quickly got out of the ring.

"You can give up now Fox; no one would hold it against you." Krystal sneered as she began circling him.

"Not a chance Krystal. Today's the day I knock you off your pedestal." Fox growled and mimicked Krystal's actions.

"Please. Spare me your fairytales. We both know I am superior, and you are the inferior tag-along." Krystal scoffed.

"We'll see who's inferior Krystal." Fox snapped and activated both his green and blue Lightsabers. He twirled them around in his hands and let them scrape the floor, sending sparks everywhere.

"That we shall." Krystal replied and activated her double bladed Lightsaber.

Fox tensed and let out a battle-cry as he rushed Krystal. The vixen wasn't afraid of him or his superior size and rushed head on at his charge. The distance between them dissolved and their blades met in a loud clash that sent a shower of sparks everywhere. Somehow the smaller fox was able to withstand Fox's greater strength and sent him on the defensive. She made for a quick attack at his right but he only just managed to block. Surprised but not hesitating, Krystal followed up with an attack with the other blade at his left. Once more he blocked and brought them into a gridlock.

They glared at each other and growled in each others faces as they pushed to knock the other down. Even though she was young and small, Krystal's Cerinian blood made her a fine warrior and she refused to be shown up. The vixen hissed once and rammed her head into Fox's muzzle.

The vulpine stumbled back, eyes watering and nose bleeding but he didn't drop his guard as the assault began. Krystal went all out, hacking and slashing at the vulpine but every time he barely managed to keep her at bay. It was like he had somehow progressed a whole year in one month.

Growing impatient, Krystal came down with an overhead attack that Fox blocked by crossing both his Lightsabers above his head. This left him open to Krystal's knee and the hit winded Fox. He fell to his knees and Krystal acted fast to finish the fight with a quick slice across the chest. With his Lightsabers on the ground, he had no way to defend himself.

The blue blade descended on the stunned fox but he refused to go down so easily. Listening to his instincts Fox tackled Krystal which sent her attack wild and somehow managed not to hit either one of them.

The vixen snarled into the face of the vulpine as he held her arms down. There was nothing she could do; he was too strong for her. Try as hard as she could, she could not push him off her.

"You give up?" Fox demanded to know as blood dripped from his face onto Krystal's robes.

"Never!" She hissed and summoned every ounce of her strength to buck him off over her head.

Fox landed on the hard floor and groaned before quickly jumping back up to his feet. Krystal came running at him with her blades humming for his blood but Fox dove to his right just as Krystal would have skewered him.

Becoming desperate, Fox frantically looked around for his blades. They were lying on the ground too far out of his reach and behind the armed vixen.

"You're not getting away that easily!" She growled and rushed him again, this time she wouldn't miss.

Sweat ran down Fox's brow and he put all his chips on one last move he had been practicing. Throwing his life on the line, Fox reached out for his blades and pulled as hard as he could. His hands outstretched for them and he closed his eyes, concentrating purely on moving the Lightsabers to his hands.

Krystal let out her own battle-cry as she moved to hack the vulpine's head off. She swung and her blade came within an inch of his head. A loud clash nearly deafened him but that was the least of his worries and Krystal's surprise. She jumped back and saw that Fox's blades were once again in hand.

'But they were just on the ground several feet away! How was this possible?' Krystal thought and checked to see if his Lightsabers were in the same spot. They were gone.

Fox chuckled and charged Krystal with her head turned to him. He didn't make a noise as he struck but Krystal still managed to recover in time and parry Fox's thrust at her belly. The momentum he had mustered that was now diverted sent him tumbling to the ground but now worse off.

'Has he really come this far?' Krystal wondered in bewilderment as beads of sweat began to form on her brow. She was actually having difficulty cutting down an opponent for the first time in years. Fighting always came easy to her but now she was having trouble beating a person who had only been training with a Lightsaber for a few months?

"Enough of this!" Krystal snapped as she had had enough of this embarrassing fight.

Fox made it to his feet and saw the fierce vixen coming at him. Fear would have gripped anyone's heart at that very moment, but for some reason he felt calm. His instincts were not fazed by her insidious barrage that he was now able to match so easily. Every hit that she made at him, no matter how strong, quick, or sneaky, he blocked it.

To everyone watching it was an amazing thing to witness. Sparks flew everywhere as the four humming blades shrieked when they collided. It was beautiful in a sense and nobody cared when they stepped out of bounds. The fight would not end with a ring out, and everybody followed, watching intently.

"He's become so strong in this last month." The hooded man muttered as he watched the orange vulpine hold his own against the prodigy of Vane.

"That he has. Imagine how much stronger they'll both be in a few years." Vane said as he watched the fight with proud eyes that gleamed behind his mask.

"If they don't kill each other." Shivana interjected. "Shouldn't we stop them James?"

The vulpine chuckled and removed his hood. "Do you honestly think they would if we tried?"

Shivana looked back to the flurry of blue and green blades that were kicking up a blizzard of embers. He was right; Krystal was Hell bent on proving her superiority, as was Fox.

"Die!" Krystal yelled suddenly as she retracted from her heavy assault.

Fox was caught off guard and his body was thrown back into the hard metal wall fifteen feet behind him. He barked in pain and hacked up blood. But he would not quit. Krystal leapt the great distance with ease and aimed her jump to land an attack to finish him off once and for all.

"You first!" Fox replied and lifted his right hand just as Krystal's blade would have reached him. Instead, the blue vixen was sent flying back, not as far as Fox had, but far enough to give Fox a moment to breathe and recover.

The vixen groaned as she pulled herself up from the ground. That last one hurt a lot, and had dazed her long enough for Fox to shake off his fatigue. Tense and shaking with anger, the vixen shouted as she sent another Push at Fox. The vulpine couldn't see the attack but lifted his hand and released a Push of his own to counter the attack. The result was a loud bang and shockwave that sent both combatants to the floor.

"Vane! James! We have to stop this!" Shivana protested as Fox and Krystal hauled themselves back up and readied themselves for another stand off.

"Perhaps you're right." James muttered as another shockwave flung the kids to the ground. They were slower to get up this time, but they still managed to push away the pain and fatigue. It wasn't about winning the tournament or respect; it was about showing the other they were not weak.

"Don't." Vane said and grabbed James' shoulder as he moved to end the fight.

"Vane?" James questioned angrily.

"If you stop the fight now then they'll go at it again tomorrow until one dies or surrenders. It's best for one to lose in the tournament with rules then an unregulated fight." Vane pointed out.

"But this fight_ isn't_ regulated! Those fools down there are too staggered to stop this Vane!" Shivana argued.

"Enough. You both know it has to be this way." Vane spoke firmly as Fox and Krystal raised their hands.

Both kits were panting heavily for air. Their legs shook as their own weight proved a challenge to hold. There was blood on both sides now, most of the bleeding was Fox's doing but Krystal's lip was cut in that last collision with the ground.

Fox and Krystal stared at each other, each ready to unleash their powers in one final shot. Yet as they gazed into each others eyes, their anger began to ebb and fade. Yes they were rivals, and yes they could hardly stand the other, but there was something that made them hesitate. It burned in their hearts, but unlike anger, it was a pleasant feeling. As young as they were, love and an unbreakable attachment bonded them together. If coursed through their veins and filled every shadow of their hearts and minds.

In unison, their hands lowered and blades extinguished. Nothing mattered anymore, so why keep fighting? Their battle had spoken more clearly then words possibly could. Dominance, superiority, power, it didn't count to these kids any longer. Fox and Krystal dropped their weapons and closed the four foot gap between them. They smiled.

"You did good Fox." Krystal whispered.

"Thanks to you Krystal." Fox whispered back.

The fight was over and the two kits embraced. James and Shivana stood rooted to their spots astonished. Just seconds ago it looked like they wouldn't stop until one was killed, but now they were embracing each other.

"This doesn't make sense!" Shivana gapped.

"Doesn't it?" Vane asked before stepping away to congratulate his pupils. This was the first step in their new training, their hatred was gone and their love could flourish. All according to plan and prophecy.

~X~X~X~X~

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE~~~ Hey guys! What did you think? I' m a little worried that that was a bit too anti-climactic. Still, I'm happy with how it went down. And wasn't it a badass fight? **_

_**Yup, Sly Cooper and Carmelita Fox made a quick cameo. All part of my shameless advertising scheme to announce my new story Sly Cooper: Dues Ex Machina. A Sly Cooper story set in the year 2055. That's right, I finally branched out. It's a quick story though since I'm leaving sometime in December. Odds are I won't finish this here story so… yeah.**_

_**What was that about prophecy? Don't worry, it won't be some lame ass prophecy like Anikin's. Balance to the Force is so passé. More will be explained in the next chapter. Oh! And check out the picture of Rarity I drew all by myself ^^! Link is on my profile page, the only one that isn't blue.**_


	22. Beginning of Maturation

Fox pawed the old recording device with a nostalgic touch. The old hunk of metal and computer chips had lasted for so long, and now it had reached its end. It no longer recorded, but the logs could still be replayed. Fox tried for days on end, but he could not fix it this time. The only thing that could fix this problem was to get a new one, but the thought dulled Fox's mood. This audio recorder was special and it felt wrong to simply replace it. It was then that the vulpine decided to end his routine he'd kept alive for years until now. Storm had always picked at him for keeping a "diary", but Fox shrugged it off. Still, it was time to put the thing to rest. The audio recorder made its final resting place at the bottom of Fox's trunk, only to be removed years down the road out of melancholy curiosity.

The vulpine sighed as the thought of seven whole years passing by so quickly bloomed into fruition. Seven whole years of intensive training under the watchful eyes of his father, Master Vane, and Mistress Shivana seemed to have passed in just a quick succession of blinks. He had learned so much in those years, his skills had been honed to the utmost quality, and his powers had grown to an awesome level. There were times that he felt himself more powerful than Shivana, Vane and even his father but deep down he knew that was not yet true. He still had much to learn and they still had much to offer.

Some things never changed though. Krystal managed to stay one step ahead of him, Storm was still the trickster screwball, Rarity held Storm in line, and the Lylat was teetering on the brink of war. What made Fox's fur stand on end was the lack of action from the Jedi Council on Corneria. They had pledged not to interfere with Andross' business so long as he did not meddle in theirs. Because of all their sitting on thumbs, the Jedi numbers had halved in those seven years, now there were as many Sith as there were Jedi. A lot of Jedi merely turned their backs on the Jedi Order but did not fall sway to the Sith teachings.

Sith corruption had even spread to his beloved home world of Papetoon. Politicians were being bought, threatened, and subdued to the Venomian Empire's influence, and talks of leaving the Cornerian rule were in a heated debate on the planet's capital. The Jedi on Papetoon were hard at work trying to tip the balance of power back into the hands of those who supported remaining as Corneria's colony, but allies were quickly fading away day by day.

Fox tried not to think about it and keep to his training, but his mind always returned to Corneria, his family, and his friends. He hoped that they were alright, but he was so keen to the Force now, that he would feel a disturbance if something happened, that he was sure.

None of that mattered for today however, as today was the final test for him, Krystal, Storm, and Rare. It was so exciting to finally be inaugurated at a full member of the Jedi Order, and after all the blood, sweat, and tears, it was truly well deserved.

The vulpine adjusted his robes to make himself a bit more presentable, before rushing out the door. He knew the temple in and out after cleaning it so many times. All the shortcuts were at his disposal, and he exploited them most maliciously to get to his objective on time.

He got to the testing chamber just as Krystal did. They looked at each other and smiled so warmly to each other that it was almost uncanny that they hated the other's guts just seven years ago. Since their last battle, many barriers were crossed, and both had learned just how valuable the other was to them. Fox admired her every aspect, and Krystal looked to him as her equal every turn, as he was always reliable and capable.

"You ready?" Fox asked, still teaming with excitement.

Krystal was noticeably less excited then he, but he could still feel sensations of repressed jubilation under that iron wall of professionalism. Regardless, she still gave him a warm and bright smile that made Fox all the more excited.

"A little, I just can't believe we've finally come to this day." Krystal replied.

"Especially you Krystal! You're what, the youngest apprentice to graduate it five centuries?" Fox almost exclaimed because of how proud of her he was.

"Five and a half." The blue vixen replied. "But that's nothing! You missed about five years of training and made up for it so quickly that you're graduating on time."

"Yeah well, if it weren't for you I'd still be trying to understand the Force." Fox blushed because of her comment.

"Nonsense, your natural ability and skills saw you through." Krystal reassured.

"My natural ability and skill?" Fox gapped. "I don't think you realize just how good you are! I mean you-"

"Yes, yes, yes, you're both simply amazing!" A sarcastic voice rang out, followed by a small giggle.

Fox looked over his shoulder to see Storm and Rarity heading their way. Storm had grown even taller, but he had lost his lead and was now just over seven inches taller than Fox. Storm bulked up too, but he was still fast and lethal, especially with his new saber techniques. As for Rarity, man did she fill out nicely. Fox didn't mean to compare her to Krystal because it was rude and wrong, but they were both fit and toned, their feminine attributes had matured quite well and Fox often caught himself staring at Krystal's breast and hips. He flushed such thoughts away immediately as it was against the Jedi Code and his ethics to gape at a woman in an impure way.

"If you two keep going on like that I'm going to lose my lunch!" Storm chided.

"Not like it would be a bad thing." Fox commented and looked at the wolf's stomach.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The wolf challenged with an eager growl. Fox was fast to accept the challenge, but the girls were faster to intervene.

"That's enough of that boys." Krystal reprimanded.

"Save your energy for the tests, you're going to need it so I've heard." Rare reminded the two. "A lot of people have failed the final test; I don't intend to let you two ruin it for the both of us."

Fox nodded. "You're right Rare, Krystal. Let's pick this up after the inauguration, deal?"

"For now Fox." Storm said squinting the vulpine. "Watch your back ginger."

"Don't." Krystal warned before Fox could whip back with a comeback.

The quartet entered the reception hall where many Jedi Knights and a few Masters had gathered. Vane, Shivana, and James were there, as were some of Fox's other teachers whom he'd learned the basics from while his real teachers helped him mastered it.

"Apprentices, step forward." A hawk with eyes that could pierce metal said to the lingering disciples. Their speed quickened and they stood before the gathering of Jedi with absolute focus. The room fell silent, and the oldest Jedi stepped forward.

He was a short little newt, but everyone's respect for him had yet to wane like his youth. Even at his great age he was till strong with the Force and still taught younglings. When he cleared his throat, the fur on the apprentices' necks stood on end.

"Today is the day your apprenticeship comes to an end." He said as a wooden tray floated over his head. "You've proven your commitment and resolve time and time again. Your skills are now complete for you all managed to construct your own Lightsabers without assistance." He said as the tray floated down and rested just above his waist. He motioned for them to take their weapons and the obeyed.

They all had their own Lightsabers, but the test was to be preformed with their recently constructed Lightsabers. Rare and Storm took their single blades, while Fox took his double sabers, and Krystal took her double bladed Lightsaber.

"All that remains is your dedication." He said as James approached carrying another tray in his arms.

Fox's and James' eyes met and the older vulpine winked to his son. Fox felt a burning sense of pride and accomplishment with that simple action.

"A Jedi Guardian is the fiercest of warriors with the Lightsaber, their crystals are blue. A Jedi Counselor is the strongest Force wielder, their crystals are green. A Jedi Sentinel learns to balance both the Force and Lightsaber combat, their crystals are yellow. Choose now." The newt said and motioned to the tray in James' hands.

Storm and Krystal didn't even think about it and immediately went for the blue crystals. Rare was a bit flippant but decided to choose a green crystal. As for Fox, he was completely lost. He had no idea which profession to choose as he had grown to use both forms of combat in a fight equally. Many times he caught his opponent off guard by throwing something at them before striking with his Lightsaber.

Since there was only one clear option, Fox took two yellow crystals. Once everyone had their picks, they were instructed to place them in their sabers, and activate them. It was as simple as putting new batteries into a remote. With their blades humming they recanted the Jedi Code and the ceremony was complete but their final test yet remained.

"You've grown so much over the years. Your training apprenticeship will be over with one final test." The newt said but paused, putting the four teens on the edge of their metaphorical seats. "For those who depart from these halls, they leave something behind for the next generation. Those crystals burning in your Lightsabers now were collected from a special cave not far from here and brought back by the generation before you. It is now your duty to enter this cave and bring back a crystal to replace the ones taken. Do this, and your apprenticeship is complete. Go now, and return in one two days time."

~X~X~X~X~X~

"Can you believe how easy this last test is!" Storm exclaimed and threw his hand up in the air. "Might as well ask me to sign my name on a piece of paper and be done with it!"

"Cool your hyper drive Storm." Krystal nagged. "Yes it may seem easy, but all we know of the cave is that it is somewhere south of here. They didn't give us an exact location and we have to find it and be back with the crystals in two days."

Storm simmered down and recollected his acute focus. "You're right Krystal, but I have full confidence that we can find it. You and Rare at the helm, and we can find the fabled pink rancor."

"At least they've given us a speeder." Rare said and chucked the keys at the orange vulpine. "If anyone's driving, it's the guy who doesn't race anything that makes eye contact." She said referring to the time Storm had everyone in a speeder and started racing a pack of Kath hounds.

"Are you okay Fox?" Krystal asked the distant vulpine. "You seem… troubled." She said and immediately the wolf and the caracal's eyes shifted to the vulpine. They had learned well in advance that when Fox acted funny, they should pay attention. Ever since his connection to the force was fine tuned, he'd often get premonitions, or so to speak. He could feel things, pain, emotions, danger. One time his premonition saved Storm from pulling a prank on someone with an unstable battery core that would have burned the person alive.

"I'm fine Krystal… I just… feel a little cold." Fox admitted and shifted his robes closer to his body. His companions didn't see it so simply and his chill crept from his orange pelt to their hearts. They'd have to be especially alert today, or fall prey to whatever was causing Fox's premonition.

~X~X~X~X~X~

"_No! Please stop!" A weak voice cried as pain erupted through her body. A young woman shrieked as lightning tortured her elegant, but blemished body. Burn marks of previous torment wrapped around her body like jagged wires wrapped around a fence. They were fresh and still burned, so it only furthered the pain when this new agony wracked her body._

"_You are mine. You are no longer a person, nor do you matter. You will do my bidding like the obedient little tool you are. Am I understood?" An evil voice echoed through the room just loud enough to be distinguished from the lightning._

"_Yes! Yes, I will obey Master." The young woman quickly answered to save herself from further suffering. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and the last thing she saw was a blinding flash of light as her "training" continued._

"No master! Stop!" The same young woman shouted as she woke from her horrible nightmare. Her bad dream ended, but the scars of that day still lingered in her mind and as burns on her body under the sleek metal armor that protected her.

The furry woman wept to herself for several minutes, trying to force her training and master from her mind, yet it was all too deeply rooted inside her psyche. Her master would forever haunt her life, and she prayed every day that it would end abruptly.

She did not wish to die; she only wished her suffering would end. Her mind traveled to happier days of her youth that felt like an eternity had since passed. Her loving family, her best friend, her crush on a heroic young man, oh how she wished that he would once again soar down from the heavens and rescue her. Yet, try as hard as she might, she couldn't remember his name. Only his young face and his gorgeous green eyes that made her heart race just from a second's glance.

The vixen got out of her small sleeping bag and quickly moved to save the fire. She loved fire because its orange glow reminded of him. Fire kept her warm, fire kept her safe, fire gave her life. Perhaps that was the name of her hero? Fire. She shook her head of the silly thought and re-concentrated on her mission.

She rechecked the armor for any maladies that it might have acquired since she came to this backwater planet just a short week ago. Her armor checked out just fine so she inspected her fire arm, side blade, and vast assortment of explosives. Her side arm still had a fully charged battery despite her angry outburst at a small pack of Kinrath that once inhabited this eerie cave she now lived in filled with even stranger crystals. Her explosives were ready to seal the poor targets' fate with just a small press of the button.

Her mission was simple but dangerous, but if she completed it she'd buy her freedom from her master. All she had to do was eliminate three dangerous individuals and capture another. None of the four were meant to be taken lightly so she had traps set up everywhere that she would neutralize her targets with non-lethal concussion blasts, allowing her to clean up with ease.

Still, if they managed to delve deep inside the cave and reach her, she still had her blaster and her small Vibro-blade that would withstand a Lightsaber. She wasn't as handy as a Jedi, but from hours of vicious training under her master's cold eyes, she learned fast. A small sigh escaped her lips and she shook her head. It was all or nothing, life or death.

~X~X~X~X~X~

"Hey Fox! I think we should take a break and stretch our legs for a minute!" Krystal shouted over the loud winds that made her hair dance and azure fur ruffle like reeds of grass. The vulpine kept driving, unaware that his training partner was speaking to him. "Fox!" She shouted even louder.

"Huh?" He grunted then slowed down. "What's up Krystal?"

"She was saying that we should stop somewhere and stretch." Rare said over the winds.

"Okay." Fox said and looked around for a spot to stop. He didn't have to look long because of Papetoon's untamed wilds and serene beauty. Krystal often said that it was only outmatched by the glory of Cerinia, a statement Fox would have fought to the death just for the sake of challenging her. "That looks nice."

The five seated speeder slowed and came to a stop at the base of a small hill with a tree on top at the edge of the plain. A small stream flowed down the hill that was fed from the large mountain range a few miles off. Fox took relief in the sight and exhaled deeply, enjoying the warmth of the environment around him. It all seemed to soak up into his being and he accepted its splendor with open arms.

Krystal felt his delight and shared it with him as their open minds touched. It was a casual thing to them by now as they had often touched minds when meditating. It felt good to be with each other through the Force; it made them both feel happy and whole.

Of course it was all ruined by the loud howling of their lupine friend, who would not shut up about how amazing and crisp the air felt running through his lungs. The foxes gave each other a half smile before making their way up the hill behind their feline and lupine friends.

The sun had just reached its zenith as the four students sprawled out in the sunlight, meditating, talking, enjoying life and its lesser glories. That's what life's all about; spending it with those you care about without the problems of life. Of course things had to come to an end and they had to continue on their way.

"Hold on guys, I forgot to go before we left!" Storm called out as he ducked behind a bush to relieve himself.

"He's still such a kid." Rare hissed halfheartedly.

"But he's our kid." Fox commented as sat in the driver's seat of the speeder with half a mind to leave Storm behind and come back a few hours later. Normally he would have, if they weren't on a time limit.

"Don't let Kid hear you say that, you'll crush his little heart." Krystal played, trying to keep Fox from drifting back into his troubled thoughts like he was trying to now.

The vulpine smiled. "That kid, he's a better Jedi then I."

"Well no one's doubting that." Krystal and Rare said simultaneously and erupted into giggles. Fox just rolled his eyes and shook it off. He knew they were only playing, so why bother making a big deal out of it like he would have ten seven years ago. After all this time on Papetoon, he had really matured and mellowed out, making things easier for him and everyone around him. Many people looked up to him now as something of a leader. Even now he was in charge of the speeder and choosing a nice place to rest. He didn't know why people seemed to flock to him, it all just came naturally he supposed.

'_I wonder how Charlie would think if he saw me now.'_ Fox thought thinking of the old hare that was his first father. _'He'd probably shrug and have me take stock in the-'_

"Storm!" Rare shouted when a loud scream broke the tranquil silence of the plains.

Without another moment's hesitation, Fox, Krystal, and Rare quickly jumped out of the speeder and ran full sprint to the source of the scream. As they ran, Fox couldn't help but pray that Storm had at least put his pants back on before he screamed like a little wolf pup.

They crashed through the bushes, Lightsabers at the ready, but found no trace of the lupine. They searched all over but only found a pool of relief. Even their Force sense couldn't detect him, it was like he had suddenly dropped off the face of Papetoon.

"Over here!"

Rare and Fox quickly ran to the blue vixen's side at the maw of a large unnatural cave. The cave had markings like something had dug its way through, and the bones all around did little to lighten the mood.

Fox sniffed the air and his muzzle pulled back into a snarl. "Son of a Rancor! What up and died and then defecated?" Fox hissed.

"I don't like this; I don't like this at all." Rare said aloud as she tensed and her tail stopped flicking around.

"He was definitely here, this is his Lightsaber." Krystal said picking up the small metal handle and inspecting it. "Look, it has his name on it." She giggled and showed Fox.

"Cute." Fox grunted when he saw the poor etchings on the bottom that looked more like it said "Stomp" then Storm. The vulpine sighed. "Looks like we're going to have to go in and retrieve the body before-"

Out of the depths of a cave came a loud growl and a beast with a slim body and six legs. Rare freaked out at the horrible sight of the even more terrifying creature barreling right at them. Fox and Krystal on the other hand, were not caught off guard.

Before the beast could come any closer, Fox reached out with the Force and slammed the monster against the wall and let it drop to the ground just as Krystal gave it a jumping downward thrust with her Lightsaber. To their surprise, only laughter came and not a horrible screech of death.

"You guys! You guys are too damn easy!" A hooting wolf said before doubling over laughing again.

The Cerinian growled and moved to strike the wolf, but Fox stopped her.

"Wait Krystal, look at these burns." He said tugging on her robes.

Casting the still chuckling Storm a glare, Krystal sighed and then turned to the strange creature. It was an insect and had green skin. She immediately identified it as a Kinrath despite the horrible burns it had received.

"What are these you think?" She asked as she further inspected them while Rare punched Storm's arm to the point it went numb. "They look like plasma burns to me. Except these ones on the thorax."

"You're right, they do look like plasma burns, probably from the splash of a grenade. As far as I know, this caliber of weaponry is banned for civilian use." Fox guessed. "What do you guys think? Should we check the cave out?"

"What are you kidding?" Storm exclaimed. "Of course we should! For all we know, this _is_ the cave. I mean, what are the odds of me tripping on a root and stumbling into a fried nest of Kinrath?"

"And Jedi don't deal with odds and luck." Rare pointed out. "I'm for it as long as we send a message back to the council where we are, just in case they need to recover the body."

"Body? What body?" Storm asked, to which the caracal responded to with a stone glare. The white wolf caught her drift instantly. "Oh… _my_ body. Well, looks like I'm on my bestest behavior again!"

"That's good." Rare growled playfully as she and Storm walked into the cave with the foxes following close behind.

"Keep alert guys," Fox said breaking out a flare and lighting it up. "There could be more Kinrath or worse."

"Like anybody would be out this far, and besides, I can't sense anything." Storm scoffed.

"That's what worries me."

~X~X~X~X~X~

The young woman tensed as the eerie silence of the cave was befouled. Echoes of voices reached her large ears. Without hesitating, she quickly readied herself and checked to see if her suppression field was on. It was an ingenious invention of her master's that bent her life energy to make her invisible to the Force, allowing her to gain the upper hand.

Her left hand tightly held the remote detonator for the concussion grenades she had set up just outside the opening of the crystal cavern. In her right hand she held her blaster with the setting set to kill, in her left a detonator. Both her palms sweat as she had never gone up against a Jedi, not even apprentices. The Force was their tool and all she had was her skill and wits.

'_Capture the vulpine, kill the others.'_ She repeated to herself as she readied the detonator.

Her heart began to slow and nearly stop as she waited. She could feel her prey coming closer and closer creating more electricity in the air and spiking her thirst for the hunt. She could hear their voices and discerned that four little gnats had fallen into her trap. Her hand trembled as the thought of hurting people excited her. For so long she had been hurt and tortured, now it was her turn to deal the pain back to the universe. Her thumb came down on the detonator and a loud bang erupted in the cave.

She shivered and her fur stood on end as screams of fright and pain flooded her ears. To make it even better, two of them were left standing while the others were on the ground but they sounded hurt and confused. The woman dove in, her blaster in hand and her Vibroblade in the other. She ran past the first person but knocked him on the head with the butt of her Vibroblade, the feline she shot in the chest with a stun round.

The remaining two were as confused as ever and she moved in for the kill. In a flash she swung her sword at the blue vixen, aiming to cut off her pretty little head. She wasn't fast enough as the dazed Jedi managed to block her attack at the last second. The Sith assassin struck hard and didn't relent, every strike she made was a deathblow but was barely blocked by the young Jedi.

Her standing compatriot suddenly jumped to her defense but the assassin kicked him in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. She couldn't believe how easy it was taking Jedi down. With a brimming confidence she struck harder and faster then before, overwhelming the blue vixen's guard with a fast strike to the torso, a swift stab to the face, and finally a shot to neck with her blaster.

The vixen fell unconscious and barely breathing. For a moment she stood over her prey with a growing sense of hunger. She was a pretty young thing, couldn't have been much younger than her but definitely more developed in the womanly features.

'_Of course _she_ was never tortured for hours on end. No. She led the good life while I starved in a cell for days trying until my blisters burst, just trying to perfect my form. Fuck you,'_

"DIE JEDI BITCH!" She shrieked and plunged her blade down towards the vixen's heart.

"NO!" The vulpine cried out as the blade came within an inch of her heart.

The assassin growled in her throat and she glared up at the young vulpine. It was dark in the cave but she could see that he was her target from the yellow glow from his blades. For a second, her frustration was forgotten as she could have sworn she knew him from somewhere. He was so handsome and his eyes were so familiar but she couldn't see the true color with the yellow casting from his Lightsabers.

"Back for more handsome?" She purred.

Fox flinched because of her brazen comment but did not let his grip on her arm falter. While still holding her an inch from Krystal's heart he tried to use the Force to take her weapons but she quickly wriggled out of his grip and regained her bearing. "Who are you?"

The woman giggled before slashing at his cute little face. "_I_ am the one who's going to deliver you to the master and kill your friends!" She hissed as she sliced at him again, this time where all men think.

Fox parried the blow and stepped back quickly. "I do hope you don't mean those friends." He said with a cocky smirk.

The woman hissed and pointed her blaster at him. "Like you even know what they're for Jedi."

Fox batted the bolts away from himself and made sure that they didn't hit his friends or her as he was having too much fun and a ricocheted bolt to the head would spoil the fun. Eventually the assassin got tired of trying to shoot him and lowered her gun.

"That burn sure hurt a lot worse than all fifty or so of those shots. You're kind of bad at this." Fox laughed.

The woman growled and she charged the vulpine with savage intent. Her metal blade threw up sparks when it collided with Fox's Lightsabers. The woman smiled behind her helmet's visor and scraped her blade down the energy beam and threw the sparks in his face. Fox shouted a curse in pain and that created an opening.

The orange fox grunted when the butt of the Vibroblade smashed across his face. His head swimming, Fox tried to back off and collect his bearings but the woman wouldn't have it. She attacked rapidly hitting him all over; she kicked out his legs, kneed his gut and punched him in the face.

"You like that _Jedi_?" She scowled at the vulpine lying stunned on the stone floor. Before he could respond she straddled the confused vulpine and she got right up close to his face. He could see himself reflecting off her visor in the dim light, and he could see the blush too. "Or do you like it like this?"

Fox opened his muzzle to respond before taking another fist to the face. He growled in his throat and bucked her over his head. She landed on her back and that gave him the opportunity to flip back and pin her to the ground.

"Actually, I proffer being on top if you don't mind but I'm sure you like it like this anyway." Fox replied as arrogantly as a drunken man but as smoothly as an aristocrat.

The assassin's muzzle dropped and she fought to get up but the vulpine was too strong. Her arms didn't even budge an inch under his firm grip. This angered the mammal and she fought even harder but only wound up tiring herself out.

"What kind of Jedi are you anyways?" She hissed as she panted for air in the musty aired cave.

"What kind of Sith are you? I mean a Vibroblade? You can't even kill a single one of us when you had the upper hand." Fox growled smugly.

"Shut up." The assassin whispered.

Fox saw that he touched a nerve and wanted to take advantage of her weakness and spurn a Sith. "I bet your master won't be pleased but he should have seen this coming because of how pathetic your skills are-"

"SHUT UP!" She yelled at the top of her lungs and fought with all her might to throw him off but he was still too strong even with her anger fueling her muscles.

When she tired herself out again she remained motionless. Fox smirked and opened his muzzle to gloat but he heard something he did not expect to come from a Sith. Small sobs that soon turned to light crying. Fox was taken aback by the woman's crying and although she was the enemy, he began to feel guilt and shame for rubbing it in so much. He was wary for a trick and kept his grip on her, but she no knew she was beaten and she would no longer struggle. The vulpine had beaten her and asserted his dominance over her.

"You have no idea what I've been through, you have no idea the training and pain I went through to get to where I am so go to Hell!" She sobbed.

Fox frowned and stretched out his mind to the distraught woman. Not even the outskirts of her mind lacked scars and pain. The vulpine pulled back and suddenly felt pity for the woman even though she had tried to kill him and his friends. His pity suddenly raised a question, what should he do with her? Killing her was not an option as the Jedi Code forbade it, but he didn't want to bring her back to the Jedi to be judged and then sentenced. The more he thought about it though, the more that seemed like the only option.

Fox bit his lips before saying. "Hey, look… I have to take you to the Jedi Council, they'll be fair and-"

"What, are you not man enough to kill me yourself?" She spat. "You take me back to your academy and they'll sentence me to death. Killing me now will only make it easier for everyone."

Fox shook his head. "I'm not going to kill you."

She shrugged. "Either way, my blood will be on your hands murderer."

Fox glared at her and clenched his teeth together. "I _am not_ a murderer." Fox said coldly.

"All you Jedi are murderers. You claim to be self-righteous but you kill people just like us, only difference between the Sith and Jedi is that you pussy foot around it before you kill. You however, I doubt you'd be able to kill." The woman scoffed, trying to send him over.

Fox snapped and let go of her arm before tearing off her helmet so he could look her in the eyes. "I _have _killed before. I killed a man when I was only ten to save my friend's life, and I…"

A strange feeling took hold of the fox as he looked down at his failed assassin. She was a vixen of chestnut color and gorgeous chocolate eyes. Yet her most becoming feature was her ears which were larger than normal but did not detract from her beauty, rather the opposite. Her body was armored but he could tell she had a nice figure to her which meant she probably worked out.

Fox's hands moved down on her wrists an inch before he winced in pain. He could feel her suffering again, this time through her armor. It burned and itched into a maddening pain, Fox wanted to escape it but he knew this pain all too well but his masters had repressed it for him. The more he shared her pain the more it started to feel familiar. Memories began to come back, screams, evil laughter, and the sound of high voltage.

"Stop! Please stop!" The vixen cried as tears coursed down her cheeks through her fur.

The sight of her in such pain made the vulpine jump off her without thinking. It was the opportune moment to strike but she didn't, she only laid there on the cold ground floor crying. The vixen was shivering uncontrollably and tried to warm her body by rubbing her arms with her hands but that only brought the pain back from the scars she wore.

The vulpine felt a large empty hole form in his heart. He wanted to protect her, make her feel happy and safe but he did not know how so he let instincts take over.

"Wha- what are you doing?" The vixen mewed as she felt his warm arms lift her up and placed her up against his warm body.

"It's okay," Fox whispered, "I won't let them hurt you ever again."

Her ears drooped as she could hardly believe what he said. She had tried to kill him just moments ago but suddenly she felt like she loved him. The vixen buried her face in his muscular shoulder and inhaled deeply.

'_This scent… I know this scent! It's him! It's really him!'_ The vixen thought to herself as her tears of pain turned to tears of joy.

"Fox, oh my God, Fox!" Fara cried over and over, so happy to have her hero back in her life again after all these years.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Okay, if you didn't guess it was Fara than go sit in the corner until the next update. Hope you guys enjoyed, most of this was already done before I had left for boot camp and after I finally got to go home and grab this file I finally finished it. Hope it's up to par, anyways have a good one!**_


	23. Retribution

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Alright you can get out of the corner now.**_

"NO! FOX LOOK OUT!" The blue vixen screamed but it was too late. The assassin's blade sank into Fox's flesh, the tip coated with a vile poison that took effect immediately. He cried out in agony as his body erupted into searing pain. Krystal could feel every tormenting ounce of it and suffered with him as she was helpless to save him.

"Your friend is dying little vixen." The assassin moaned as if she was getting some sort of sick satisfaction from the two foxes' pain. Krystal looked up from the ground to glare at the woman but found the blood and poison covered knife in her face. "And you will die along with him."

"FOX!" Krystal managed to scream before everything went black.

Krystal awoke with a start that alerted the entire medical wing of her wake. She thrashed around as if trying to free herself from a monster's grasp. A pair of hands grabbed her arms but she was in such a panicked state that she fought back. The blue fox easily countered the hold and clamped down hard on the assailant's wrists making him groan in pain.

"Krystal! Krystal, stop! It's me, it's Fox!" The orange fox grunted as he fought the vixen from breaking his wrists.

Her cerulean blue eyes popped open and she saw awoke from her nightmare. For several heartbeats she held his wrists in a tight grip until she had enough time to calm down. She looked around to see where she was and looked back to Fox.

"It's okay Krystal, we're back at the Temple." Fox reassured and his arms were freed; he then used them to comfort his friend by rubbing her shoulder and holding her hand. "Storm and Rare are fine too." He said before she could ask.

"What happened? Who attacked us?" Krystal asked as everything slowly came back to her.

"An old friend of mine paid me a visit. From what she's told me she was kidnapped just a month after we left Corneria and she was trained to be a Sith assassin. After she knocked you guys out I managed to best her and bring her back." Fox explained calmly.

"You brought a _Sith_ here?" Krystal growled in her throat.

"It was either that or kill her in cold blood." Fox asserted but Krystal was still disgusted by the fact that a Sith disciple was somewhere in the temple.

Deciding that it was rather irrelevant for now, Krystal decided that it was better to figure out exactly what happened. "How did you manage to beat a Sith assassin all alone?"

"The fact that she's only Force sensitive helped. Once I bested her she helped me bring you guys back home and the council decided to keep her on house arrest for the time being. I put in a good word for her so- she was my friend and I sensed a lot of good left in her. It's my hope that I can bring her back to the light."

"Just because she was your friend years ago, doesn't mean she won't stab you in the back with your own Lightsaber! She's a Sith! A Sith!" Krystal repeated just to be sure that he heard her.

"And now she's a good guy." Fox countered which made the blue vixen double take. "Don't worry about it, just get some sleep. Fara messed you up good."

After all these years Fox had yet to hear Krystal growl like she used to until now. The fox was snarling like a primal animal, her ears laid back at him, muzzle curled up showing her perfect teeth, and that sharp look in her eyes that could cut steel made Fox wince.

"She got lucky and fought dirty, and if I wasn't so worried about protecting you-" Krystal growled and grabbed Fox by the collar of his robes making him whimper with fear, "-I'd have taken her down as easily as I did you in the last tournament. Now I suggest you let me meditate before I recalibrate my inner peace with my foot in your ass."

The vulpine wasted no time escaping his friend's line of fire. It took a lot to get under Krystal's thick skin, or just the right prick to set her off. Apparently, being bested by a Sith was one of those. Fox didn't stop running until he was almost on the opposite wing of the temple. He stopped to take his breath back when he realized that hardly anyone was around. Fox quickly found that he had wound up in the council wing where meetings between masters and VIP's took place.

Not wanting to be seen just idly standing around without reason Fox started to head back to his dorm but his sharp ears caught the sound of fast approaching footsteps. The vulpine turned around, his hand twitching to his Lightsaber when he saw a familiar face. Fox smiled.

"Kid! Great to see you. How was the trip to Katina?" Fox asked hoping to make a bit of small talk.

"I'm sorry Sir," Kid said which Fox didn't really approve of, Kid always called him Sir when he truly proffered just being called Fox, "but the council requires your presence."

The vulpine cocked an eyebrow. "Really? What for?"

"No time! They're expecting you." Kid panted and took the lead as they both ran to the council. They arrived in no time at all but hesitated. "Good luck, Fox."

Fox smirked. "I thought you didn't believe in luck."

"You'll need it regardless." Kid murmured as Fox stepped into the council's chamber.

A gathering of fifty Jedi and five Jedi Masters all sat in their respective chairs. The vulpine walked in with grace and dignity and found the large eared vixen in the middle of the room. Fox caught her eyes and he almost shuddered, she was absolutely terrified and her ears were drooped. He took his spot at her side and gave her his support in her mind. Her ears twitched but they remained low as well as her bushy tail.

"Young Sabbath, how good of you to join us so quickly." An older iguana spoke with a raspy voice.

"I was in the neighborhood, Master Duran." Fox said giving a slight bow.

"Indeed." The iguana said with an amused smile on his face.

Despite the rough start when Fox first arrived, Fox managed to make a good name for himself. Nearly every master on Papetoon had trained him in some way, as he was an incredibly gifted child that seemed to soak up the knowledge they had to offer like a sponge. Only this young mind had no limits, everything he learned he somehow committed to memory perfectly, and could master in months in what many could not do in years. The only student better than him was Krystal, even to this day.

"Master, may I ask what I am need for?" Fox asked in a respectful tone.

"Aye Sabbath, we were just about to decide what we were to do with the Sith beside you." A strained voice explained to Fox's right. There was no doubt about it in the simian's tone, that Fara was a little more than unwelcome in these halls.

"What to do? What do you mean?" Fox asked, his ear twitching involuntarily.

"The Sith assassin is to be sentenced to the detention center until she is no longer deemed dangerous." Another Jedi declared.

"What?!" Fox snapped, throwing his bearing away. "She gave up willingly! She helped me bring my peers back when at any time she could have put a knife in my back. Fara is not an enemy, she is a friend!"

Fox's outburst surprised the council. Very rarely did an apprentice speak during a meeting, and never before had one spoken so brashly and yet with such command. It was almost as if an adolescent wasn't speaking, but instead a man was standing before them.

"Mister Sabbath, you would do wise to watch your tone." The Jedi who detested Fara advised.

Fox's green eyes snapped to the simian. "And you would do wise not to question me when I say that Fara is no longer a Sith."

Once again the council held its breath. Fox overstepped his bounds by leagues by insulting and even threatening a superior. A few Jedi rose from their seats to reprimand him, but Vane beat them to it.

"Fox, hold your tongue." The man snapped with the most emotion Fox had ever heard to date. Fox flinched and did as his master commanded.

"Obviously we were a little premature to make you a Padawan." The simian grunted making Fox flare his ears.

"Indeed we have." Vane spoke which dealt a heavy blow to the young vulpine.

"He should be stripped of his rank and set back in training. Perhaps then he would learn some self restraint." The monkey suggested.

Fara licked her lips as she watched Fox's stony face. He might not be showing it on the outside, but she could definitely feel his pride and spirit take hit after hit with every word spoken. She slowly inched closer to him until their shoulders touched. The brown vixen would have taken his hand but she dared not to in front of all these Jedi. Despite the lack for better contact, Fox deeply appreciated the sparse touch regardless and it helped him hold himself together.

"Perhaps we should, but what would that accomplish?" Vane asked and for the first time had not spoken against Fox. "A few months goes by and Fox would pass the training once more only wasting time and not learn a thing."

"What do you suggest, Vane?" Shivana asked.

The smiling yellow fox mask turned to the young vixen standing beside her hero. Her eyes caught with the black slits for eyes and she shivered, stepping behind the vulpine for protection.

"This young woman is no longer a threat to us. I sense her allegiance has turned and she answers to a new master now. Our young Sabbath." Vane pointed out making Fox's eyes flash to the vixen for the briefest moment. "Perhaps the best way to teach one patience, is to have an apprentice of ones own."

That last statement created an uproar, some were in favor while others were entirely repulsed by the idea.

"Now really Master Vane, the mere idea of giving a Padawan an apprentice is entirely ludicrous! He is insubordinate and lacks self-control, while she was trained by the dark lord himself!"

"I am well aware of these circumstances Coorta." Vane said to the ape as he watched Fara shift uncomfortably behind her hero. "Yet I still stand behind my belief that Fox should be made Ms. Phoenix's caretaker."

For several minutes the council debated this and took several more minutes still to simmer down. When silence was restored the grandmaster finally spoke up.

"While I don't fully agree with you Master Vane, your wisdom has always been outright. Your methods, while often questionable, have made leaps and bounds for this young man before us." The newt murmured with a ragged old voice. "I too believe that this responsibility shall teach him better self-restraint and patience. What say you Sabbath?"

Fox hesitated and looked to his friend. She gave him one of the cutest looks he had ever seen and his heart melted. How could he refuse? If he did than she would be placed in detention for who knows how long. Fox promised to protect her, and protect her he would.

"I accept." Fox replied.

"Good. Than from this day forward, Ms. Phoenix's actions will reflect upon you and her failures shall be your own. If she begins to fall back to her Sith ways you shall intervene, understood?"

"I understand." Fox replied once more.

The simian Coorta sat back in his chair, fuming that the vulpine had managed to escape punishment for his insolence. He glared at the young vulpine as he brooded away in thought. No one took notice of him but he took notice of everyone with clear displeasure at the kid getting off so easily and receiving an apprentice when he had not even been a Padawan for a full day.

'_I'm not going to let you get away with this Sabbath. You may have fooled everyone else, but I know you're just a spoiled, over-privileged runt.'_ Coorta thought to himself lividly.

"Very good. Ms. Phoenix, you are welcome to stay here but we will be keeping our eyes on you. Dismissed." The grandmaster finished and without a second's delay Fox and Fara were led out by Vane.

The man held a rough grip on Fox's arm as he led Fox away from the council and the public's eye. When they found a deserted break room, he let go.

"By the Force, Fox… I should have let them revoke your Padawan status from you!" Vane hissed which was entirely out of character for him.

Fox licked his lips and stared at the man who was just a few inches taller than him now. For years he looked up to Vane, called him master, and learned so much from him. So it came as a surprise when his hand swiped across his face, leaving a hot sting across his muzzle. To the young vulpine it was like getting punched and his green eyes turned to the man. For a second, Fox considered killing him, letting go of his anger and making the masked man pay for that hit. But in the back of his mind he knew he was not strong enough, not yet at least.

The vulpine spat out the vile taste in his mouth and bared his teeth. "What the Hell was that for?"

"What wasn't it for?!" Vane growled. "You almost set back several years' worth of plans just now!"

"You've never hit me before." Fox pointed out.

"You're right, but never have you made me go to such extremities before! Do you honestly think that old man would for one second allow you to take an ex-Sith assassin under your wing?" Vane asked, his voice simmering down.

Fox quickly reflected on what his master said and gave him a suspicious look. "What did you do to the grandmaster?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Fara asked making Fox shudder. "He overpowered the old man through the Force."

Fox's eyes opened wide. "You-"

"Not another word boy." Vane warned. "Now then, I suggest you get some rest. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, Padawan."

With that final word, Vane left the two foxes and disappeared around the corner. It took a long while for Fox to come to terms with what just happened. This was a side that he had never seen of his master before. Normally he was a patient man and never let his emotions go.

'_Something must be bothering him aside from the grandmaster… he's never hit me before.'_ Fox thought as the sting still clung to his face. He let out a sigh before a soft warm hand encompassed his own.

"For what it's worth Fox…" Fara said as she walked up in front of him, her dazzling brown eyes looking up to him with so much emotion that it began to give Fox feelings he had thought he forgot about and left behind. "Thank you or saving me… again." She whispered before planting a gentle kiss on his white cheek before it started burning red.

The young man's muzzle fell as he stared deeply into her enchanting eyes. They were so deep and full of feeling that he began to get lost in them. Looking back, this girl, this young woman gave him his first kiss. He wondered if perhaps she still had feelings like that for him. That is, until her thumb began to stroke his hand.

"I've missed you so much, Fox." She sighed and draped her arms around his warm body, taking in his heat and bewitching scent. Every time she inhaled his sweet aroma she forgot every care and worry she had and then only he remained. It was a wonderful feeling to have something so good and special after having nothing but misery.

"And I you, Fara." Fox found himself saying.

"Did you ever think about me?"

Fox swallowed a lump in his throat as she began to slowly nuzzle him. "Yes, especially when I needed the strength to go on. I tried to contact you but I could never even reach your parents. If I had known you went missing I'd have come looking for you."

The vixen stopped her nuzzling and looked up at him, catching his eyes once more in her own. "Then I'm glad you did not. You don't know what it's like Fox, and I pray you never will. They're merciless, evil people and do anything to break you. To be honest… I thought of you when I needed the strength to go on living. I believed that if I could just see you one more time that everything I went through would be worth it."

Time crawled by as Fox stood frozen solid wondering if she was getting closer. She was so close already that their lips were all but touching. He remembered the excitement he felt from the first, the sweet taste, the lasting buzz. To feel it again would put so many things back into perspective that the Jedi code had twisted; things like companionship and love.

Then finally she pulled away and rested her muzzle on his tense shoulder.

"And it is." She whispered.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Absolutely not."

"_Please_ Krystal!" Fox begged in hushed undertone lest Fara hear. His efforts were all in vain however; as Fara's large ears were above the norm of hearing, even for foxes. "I can just feel something bad will happen if she gets a room with someone else! You've got a large enough room, what you being the class protégé and all."

"I earned that room. I'm not about to share it with… _her._" Krystal snapped as she cast Fara a fierce glare and in no way tried to keep her voice down so Fara wouldn't hear.

"I've fought sparring droids more threatening than you girly." Fara growled returning the glare right back at Krystal from the bed she was lying on some twenty feet away.

"Oh really?" Krystal asked, a sinister smile on her face as she rose to accept the challenge but Fox interjected.

"Krystal, I'll do _anything_. Just please let her stay with you at least until I can get a room for herself." Fox pleaded.

"Why don't you just let her stay in _your_ room? Storm moved out remember?" Krystal groaned.

Fox began to flush red as he thought of Fara sleeping just seven feet away from him but he shook it away.

"You know that's forbidden!" Fox lied as he was never told that Fara wasn't allowed to stay in his room only other _students_ of the opposite sex weren't.

Krystal squinted at the fox giving her the cutest puppy dog eyes she had ever seen. As much as she'd love to just say no and then go put that other vixen in her place, she could not refuse that look, and he knew full well too. Krystal rubbed her temples and sighed dramatically.

"Alright, but if she even looks at me wrong, I'm throwing her out on the spot." Krystal warned.

"I'd like to see you try." Fara scoffed which luckily Fox was thanking Krystal so loudly that she didn't hear, or the deal would have been off right there.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll make this up to you, I swear!" Fox thanked loudly on purpose as he knew both women were muttering their little passive aggressive taunts to the other. "Come on, Fara! Let's go get you to your new room!"

Krystal watched them go, her arms folded and her foot tapping against the floor. Just as Fara rounded the corner she winked at her and did something strange with her tongue. Whatever it was it made the younger vixen shiver and feel even more resentful towards the brown vixen.

'_I'll show that bi- …woman. She may have gotten the upper hand last time but the next time we fight I won't fall for her conniving tricks.'_ Krystal thought to herself before lying back in her bed as her leg was starting to act up again. Luckily she wouldn't have to spend tonight with her, as she was still on bed rest in the med wing. _'If she touches any of my things I'll flay her within an inch of her life.'_ Krystal thought but she wasn't referring to her material possessions, but a certain vulpine.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Fox sighed as he gazed up at his ceiling in the pitch black darkness. So much had happened in the last two days, so many surprising revelations. The two main things on his mind was Master Vane and Fara. The fact that Vane struck him today was almost entirely out of character, and Fara was rapidly snaking into his mind.

For some reason when he was around her, his years of training and celibacy degenerated quickly. It had been years since last he thought about so much as even kissing a girl, yet with Fara, she sparked a troubling instinct inside of him. He wanted something from her, a strange urge to explore when she was around, only thing was he didn't want to go anywhere.

Fara was like a forgotten side of him that felt so natural but thanks to his training, seemed so taboo. He would never admit it, but he caught himself staring at her three times today. Only thing was he wasn't staring at her because she had something stuck in her teeth or something, he was staring at her body. For reasons unexplained to him his cheeks would burn, his heartbeat quickened, and the strangest sensations in areas began to stir.

Fox shook his head fiercely, trying to rid his mind of Fara so that he might be able to get some sleep finally. Yet all the head banging in the world wouldn't rid his hormone filled mind.

"Blast it." Fox cursed as he got up and rubbed his dry eyes. "Why can't I get her out of my head?"

Since Storm had moved out of the room long ago because he wanted to be closer to the kitchen, Fox had the room all to himself for the last year and a half. Only weird thing though was Storm didn't live any closer to the kitchen now, but closer to Rare's room. The two had grown close over the years, almost a little too close in some people's opinion, but Fox had yet to witness anything forbidden.

The silence of the room was cut when Fox ignited his golden yellow Lightsabers. He examined them and listened to their harmonious hums. It brought him a sense of serenity and he began. If not for the blades in his hands, someone could have almost mistaken him for dancing. Over the years he had all but perfected his form, creating no holes in his defense and no flaws in his offense but only one person could find the miniscule cracks that seemed nonexistent in his form. If he was even just a hair off, Krystal would exploit the opening he made and take him down. It was frustrating at times, but he was thankful to have her because if he never had her, he knew that he'd never have picked up a working Lightsaber.

Over the last seven years the two foxes had grown close, yet kept it professional. They relied on each other more than they knew and drew strength from each other through their bond. Fox and Krystal had permanently carved their standing as the temple's top students. Apart they were near invincible, together they truly were unstoppable. Even in the heat of a battle they were in perfect sync, shielding one another and attacking with absolute precision.

For two whole hours Fox tried to even further polish his form, but no matter how well he did he could feel something lacking, just a small little nag telling him something was off. After a while he felt loosened up but not tired in the slightest. He quickly rinsed off in the shower before plopping back down onto his bed, finally able to drift away.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

The door slowly began to creak open making not a noise as a hooded figure crept inside the room. The figure quickly closed the door behind itself and watched the sleeping form on the bed. He had not stirred the entire time and his snoring had not once changed. The figure let out a silent sigh of relief before creeping over to the bed. There was no light in the room but the person's eyes were able to see a faint outline of the target.

The target was sleeping so soundly and above his covers with just a flimsy pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt on. The intruder smiled and gently moved the man's wrists towards the headrest of the bed, taking as long as needed so not to disturb the sleeper. When both hands were above his twitching ears, the figure pulled out two makeshift pieces of rope and tied the man down.

This time the sleeping man awoke as the feeling of fabric tightening against his wrists jolted him out of his sleep.

"What the Hell?!" He gasped and tried to pull his hands away from the restraints but the fabric was too strong. Before he could do anything else his head was forced back onto his pillow and something straddled him. The man growled and tried to buck the other person off but then he heard a devious giggle.

"Fara?!" Fox whispered and sure enough her scent reached his nostrils. All at once he felt so much calmer and relaxed, that is until her waist began to move and rub against his. He let out a small concerned whine as he tried to keep his body responding to the stimulation, but then she kissed him.

Her lips were firmly pressed against his and her hands around his head brought him deeper into it. She asked several times with her tongue for entrance into his mouth but he had not the slightest idea what she was getting at. When she finally pulled away the burning hot vulpine could still taste her on his lips and greedily lapped up the taste that lingered. Never for a second did he take in the Jedi code and what he was doing was wrong, because it all felt so right.

"I missed you, Fox." Fara whispered as her loving hands explored his chiseled chest. "I always dreamed of being with you, even when I was just a little kid. You meant so much to me even back then, and now I have you all to myself."

"Fara, what are you- wait!" Fox said as he felt his shirt being cut apart. Fara's knife cut so quickly and precisely that it was over before he even managed to say "wait". The vulpine shivered but not because he was cold, in fact with the vixen on him he was incredibly hot.

Fox tried to fight against his bonds again but the vixen put a finger to his lips.

"Shh… don't be afraid. This is all for you, my hero." She swooned and pulled her own shirt off.

"Fara stop!" Fox nearly shouted freezing the vixen in motion. "Please, I can't do this with you."

Fara let her shirt fall back down on her and she asked. "Why? I will give you anything and everything you ask of me… eagerly."

"I… appreciate it Fara." Fox said not knowing just how to respond to that. "But I swore an oath to hold my celibacy and never allow myself to grow attached or love. If I do this with you I'm forsaking that oath."

"But… but I love you." Fara whimpered. "I've loved you for so long, I need you!"

The vulpine wished he could reach out and embrace her but his hands were presently tied up at the moment. He could feel her feelings swirl around in her mind. She wanted him so badly this was true, but now she felt rejected and unloved by the one thing she loved.

"And you always _will _have me, Fara. But not in this way." Fox assured. "It's not that I don't want you, but I've sworn my life to be a Jedi… and I admit that I find you attractive which is why it's very hard to say no."

The vixen sighed before giving Fox one last kiss, this time on the cheek. "Alright. But all you'd ever need to do is ask." She said and cut his binds. "Goodnight my love." Fara whispered before leaving before Fox could utter a single syllable.

"Goodnight my friend." Fox whispered back.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Wow, we were literally one step away from a lemon, weren't we? Well, sorry to say that Padawan is the only story I have that is over two chapters that doesn't have lemon in it and that is how it will stay. Not even lime, sorry. Keeping this right on the border. Anyways hope you enjoyed and all, thanks for reading. **_


	24. Fara Phoenix

The orange vulpine blinked awake as memories came flooding back from last night. At first he couldn't believe what had happened, yet the taste of the vixen still lingered on his lips from last night. Fox ran his tongue over his lips to get every last bit of the taste even if he was scorning himself about how inappropriate it was.

"Stop being stupid." Fox said to himself and slowly got out of bed.

Sighing, the fox walked over to the shower and quickly jumped in. He washed all the scent of the vixen off his body but for some reason he could still smell her. Shaking his head and the water off his face, Fox stepped out of the shower after turning off the shower. He grabbed a towel, dried himself and wrapped it around his waist before he stepped back into his room, only to yelp, jump, and nearly drop his towel.

"F-Fara!" Fox asked as his face turned red with blush. "W-W-What are you doing in my room?!"

The vixen was lying on the empty bed opposite of Fox's with her head resting on her hands and her legs crossed. Her large ears turned to him and she smirked.

"I got bored, and that Krystal girl snores." She sighed.

"She snores?" Fox gapped, hardly believing Krystal could snore.

"Like a congested rancor." Fara giggled as she laid on her side in a come hither pose. "Your towel's slipping."

Somehow Fox managed to turn even redder and tried to adjust his towel but wound up almost dropping it. Just as the towel was about to fall and expose his lower anatomy, Fox managed to affirm his grip and preserve his modesty much to the vixen's dismay.

"What's wrong, Fox? Something making you nervous?" Fara thought out loud.

Fox shook his head and scoffed. "As if… do you know what we're doing today?"

"I can think of a few things." The vixen purred as her tail flicked around playfully.

"Knock it off!" Fox scowled and moved over to his dresser to pull out some robes before Fara could notice the blush on his face.

"Oh come on." Fara cooed. "What happened to all that playful banter we shared when we fought?"

"That was just trash talk." Fox said as he pulled out a fresh grey robe and turned around only to come find Fara was just a foot away. The vulpine cleared his throat and pretended like he didn't feel embarrassed. "Um… could you please leave so I can put some clothes on?"

Fara moaned in her throat. "Alright, alright! Don't get your Lightsaber in a twist, big-boy."

Fox rolled his uvula when suddenly the vixen's large bushy tail swished across his face, chafing her scent against him once more. He sneezed and cleared up just as Fara ran out of the room giggling giddily. The vulpine had absolutely no idea how to respond properly to her half the time, and now was one of those times. He had no idea how long this arrangement would work out for, hopefully she wouldn't make it hard for him, but he highly doubted it. She had changed over the years; she was no longer the timid little girl anymore. She was a woman who knew what she wanted and would take it just to prove a point. What worried him though was how frisky she was. After all she had been through that was the last thing he expected. He could only guess why she was so pleasant to him, perhaps only to him.

When the vulpine was fully dressed he stepped out of his room to come face to torso with someone. Craning his neck, Fox looked up to see a white wolf casting him a very suspicious look. The vulpine cocked an eyebrow at the lupine and smirked.

"Hey Storm, how's the day treating you thus far?" Fox asked.

"Pretty good… how did the night treat you?" Storm asked, his eyes barely more than suspecting slits now.

The orange fox yawned and stepped around the lupine. "What do you mean?"

The wolf stepped in front of Fox once more. "Come on! I saw that Sith girl come bouncing out of your room giggling! And since you're not dead, my mind is left to ponder what a male Red fox and a female fennec fox could have done together in the secluded confines of a private room with a bed big enough for said female fox and male fox."

Fox rolled his fiercely green eyes. "Did you intentionally mean to say all those words in a row, or did they just dribble out?"

"Oh I'm serious, Fox. Did you and Fara… well… you know." Storm whispered so that no one passing by would hear.

"No I didn't "you know" with Fara." Fox scoffed at the childishness of his friend.

Unlike Fox, Storm never took the Jedi oath as he was not truly a Jedi in training; rather he was merely receiving the training thanks to a mass of strings and favors being pulled. So unlike Wolf, Fox felt a higher standard for himself had to be maintained and he would not break his oaths he sworn at the beginning of his training.

Storm stared at the vulpine for a while as they walked down the halls towards the chow hall. Eventually Storm was satisfied enough and looked away towards the droid cooked food. There was no passion or effort in the food, but it was eatable. Often Fox and Storm would wake up early and run off to the settlement just a few miles away to get some real food. This was frowned upon as the local wildlife was most active and dangerous in the early hours of the morning.

"So, what do you think our first mission will be?" Storm asked as he packed a lot of bacon on his plate.

Fox shrugged. "Dunno, all I know is I just want to get off this planet for a while."

Storm grinned. "Yeah, I heard about your fight with the council over your Sith friend."

"She's not a Sith any more Storm, I turned her." Fox grunted.

"Sure you did, you turned her and over and then- kidding, kidding!" Storm said while stepping back so that Fox didn't sock him. "But seriously though Fox, she's bad for business! At any point she could turn on us and we wind up with lasers in our backs."

"Fara would never shoot us… well, me anyways. I don't know about you." Fox shrugged.

Storm rolled his blue eyes as they shuffled down the line. "Please, like she could even lay a paw on me."

"Oh really?" A feminine voice asked behind the wolf.

All at once the room seemed to take on an eerie silence. Everyone knew who she was and everyone was tense upon her arrival. Storm turned around to see the fennec fox giving him a very skeptical look. He squinted his eyes at her and folded his arms, towering over the vixen.

"As a matter of fact, I doubt you would be able to hit me with even a blaster." Storm boasted.

Fara cocked an eyebrow. "So we're just going to forget about our first fight then?"

Storm began to go a little pink under his white fur. "You used traps and hid in the shadows in that fight! In other words, you cheated!"

"I cheated? Are you going to call foul when someone gets the drop on you because you're an incompetent half rate Jedi?" Fara asked creating a ripple of whispers in the galley.

Storm began to growl menacingly as he glared down at the vixen while he towered almost two feet over her, yet she stared right back on up never moving or giving up any ground. Fara smirked, laid back her ears and growled back. Realizing things could get ugly, Fox quickly moved to intervene.

"Hey, hey, hey. Storm, we all know you're a gentle giant, and Fara… don't play his game." Fox scolded the two but that only served to fan the flames in the vixen's eyes.

"Oh I'm not playing his game, I'm beating all the bosses, getting the high score, rescuing the princess, and leaving a bad play review." Fara growled which only served to throw a tank of gasoline on the flames that Fox was fighting to extinguish in the lupine's eyes.

"BATTLE! Battle, battle, battle, battle. BATTLE!" Storm shouted trying to tear the vixen apart just outside of his reach thanks to a deceptively strong vulpine.

"Very well, I feel like showing you your place anyway." Fara said with an arrogant sneer.

Storm just stood there fuming before picking up the vixen and started hauling her away despite how much she protested.

"Put me down you insufferable behemoth!" She screamed while kicking and punching him. In his angered state he didn't feel the blows, not that they hurt much to begin with. Fara was not that strong but her body was built more for speed and flexibility than anything.

Fox had no choice to follow them and he tried bartering and reasoning with them the entire way, but they would not listen. This fight was going down, and it wouldn't end until one of them was dominant. When they reached the sparring fields Storm finally set her down in front of a weapon rack. Fara huffed and dusted herself off while casting Storm a sour look.

"Pick your weapon so I can murder you." He growled as he folded his arms at her.

With her eyes half open the vixen yawned before inspecting the weapons. It took her two seconds before she looked back at the lupine. "These are all Lightsabers."

"Yeah, they are. Pick one!" Strom snapped.

"I don't use Lightsabers. There is nothing quite like the tempered steel of a pistol, be it projectile or laser. Lightsabers are too… trashy." She said sparking a lot of hushed whispering amongst the large crowd come to watch.

"T… Trashy?!" Storm gapped then looked at Fox. "FOX! Your damn girlfriend is about to die if you don't get her back on her leash."

"My _leash_?" Fara said suddenly, her voice showing pure signs of anger. Everyone's eyes turned to the vixen who's muzzle was curling back in rage, her ears laid back, and her fur bristling. Before Storm could blink, Fara grabbed him by the collar of his robes and brought him down to her level. "I am _not _a slave; I am _not_ someone's pet! Get me a blaster or a gun and I'll show you the meaning of true pain."

Not a single person moved, even Storm was rooted to his spot, trapped in Fara's frightful aura. As seconds turned to minutes, one person dared to move and approached the bristling vixen.

"Your training blaster ma'am." The small vulpine said holding out a holdout blaster to Fara.

"Thanks Kid, what's your name?"

"Kid ma'am." Kid replied, seemingly unafraid of the ex-Sith assassin in front of him.

"I'll kill you last." She snarled before stepping into one of the large rings that two apprentices were already training in. "Out!" She commanded and not surprisingly, they obeyed. "Well come on then, _Jedi_."

Storm hesitated for a moment but stepped towards the ring. He only managed one step before Fox tried again to stop this.

"Storm, you don't have to do this. Just apologize and make up. I honestly don't think she's playing anymore." Fox warned.

The white lupine shook his head. "I challenged her, I _have _to fight. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" He asked with a nervous grin on his face.

He stepped into the ring prompting a short applause from the onlookers, an applause that wasn't given to the fennec. Strangely, Fara did not face her opponent, she had her back to him and remained entirely still with her eyes closed. Storm had no idea what to make of it so he started off as normal and pulled out his slightly modified Lightsaber with a thicker handle.

The now older, taller (but still rather short) vulpine kid stepped forward. Years of Jedi training had done the gray fox well, he was strong but rather slender, he had a softer looking face and one might call him effeminate. He had longer hair that often got into his eyes but never in a fight. For years he had looked up to Fox, revered him as an idol and they often hung out and trained together.

"Standard fight, Storm against Ms. Fara Phoenix. The fight is over when three physical blows are made or one blow with a Lightsaber or blaster is dealt. Ring outs are also in play…. On the count of three the fight will commence." He said and moved the hair out of his eyes with the back of his fingers. "One… two… three-" He counted but jumped back in fright when the vixen turned around, letting out a battle-cry and started firing seemingly wildly but every one of them was dead on accurate and precisely where she wanted them.

The lupine ignited his Lightsaber and was hard pressed to defend himself. The first shot was aimed squarely at his left eye, the next hand holding the Lightsaber, the next his foot, then his shoulder. Every shot was placed far away from the last making him stress himself to deflect the shot and that was what Fara was aiming for. She was keeping him off balance and on the defensive allowing her to move closer and closer, putting more and more pressure on the lupine.

Fox watched in awe as Fara so easily managed to put Storm on the defensive. He wondered if even he would be able to handle this technique Fara was using and ducked under a laser bolt that was no more deadly than a laser pointer pen. The vulpine looked around and saw that he wasn't the only one put off by the vixen's skills.

Fara was now no more than ten feet from him and then she struck. With one last shot at his foot, Fara rushed him while his guard was down, jumped, and threw a hard punch at the wolf instantly drawing blood. She hit him so hard that he dropped his Lightsaber and staggered back groaning in pain. Then he lurched forward coughing as all the air in his lungs rushed out from the most painful punch to the gut he ever had. Finally Fara grabbed him by the ears and pulled him into her knee nailing him right in the eye, and with that, the fight was over, but not for Fara.

The fennec tackled him to the ground even as Kid called the fight for Fara. She kept trying to hit him from on top of him while he covered his face with his arms. Kid tried to pull her off but before he could even touch her she lashed out at him with sharpened claws.

"Shit!" Fox swore and jumped in. Like with Kid, Fara lashed out at him but Fox wasn't fazed. He caught the swing at the wrist and pulled her back, nearly pulling her arm out of her socket. She let out a yelp of pain just before she wound up face floor in the floor, thrashing about trying to get free.

"LET ME GO!" She yelled trying with every fiber in her body to get free.

Storm slowly got up wiping the blood off of his face with help from Kid. With the fight over, people started to leave but several stayed behind and watched making it more embarrassing for the floundering vixen.

"Let me go, Fox! I'm going to kill him! I'm going to-" She cried out but every moment she started getting weaker and weaker as fatigue set in. Finally the vixen became too tired to fight on and remained motionless as Fox once again asserted his dominance just like before.

Fox sensed her submission and eased up on the pressure on her arm. Slowly he walked his hands down her arm until he was crouching down next to her. Even when he let go she didn't move, she kept laying there sniffling in defeat. Fox looked up to everyone standing around still watching and with a sharp growl he warned them off. With the crowd dispersed Fox began stroking her on the head between the ears.

"It's alright, Fara. You fought well. Not many people can get the upper hand of Storm as easily as you did." Fox cooed gently and started scratching her behind the ears. She enjoyed it but she wasn't feeling at all like enjoying it.

"I don't care… I just want to kill him. He has to die!" Fara quietly cried.

"I'm sorry, but I won't let you fall again." Fox whispered.

"I'm not a slave, I'm not a slave!" She said and cursed under her breath.

"No, you're not. You're free and not even I will force you to do anything." Fox reassured making her look at him in the eyes.

She opened her mouth to say something but faltered. All she could do was stare up into his gorgeous green eyes through her glistening and reddened amber ones. He would always be there for her and would never betray her, and as much as she hated being a slave and used for someone else's gains, she knew that as long as it was Fox she wouldn't care. She would obey him and submit to his wishes and desires, and he'd treat her right and protect her. To her, Fox was the only thing that mattered now.

"Thank you, Fox." She whispered and gasped when she felt herself being helped up. When she was on her feet she found herself in the arms of the vulpine. She was one to take the best out of any situation and let herself become wrapped in the fox's scent and strength. It only lasted a few moments before he let her go but it was amazing regardless.

"Come on; let's go back to my room and I'll get something for us to eat, if we're lucky there'll still be something worth eating left." Fox said as he ushered the vixen away under his arm.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Krystal stood beside her master, unflinching and ever still as he spoke to the council leader.

"Your request is… understandable Master Vane. Your students have shown great aptitude but all students must undergo simpler missions and tasks."

"Yes but my other student Fox Sabbath was able to turn the Sith agent rather than kill her. Does that not warrant a more important mission than simple escorts and guard duty?" Vane argued against the aged vixen.

"Perhaps, but we're worried that perhaps young Fox is not ready for an important mission like this. He did perform admirably, as did Krystal, Storm, and Rarity. His recent out lash in the council meeting has raised the question whether or not _any_ of the recent graduates are ready."

"Mistress Watson, if I did not fully believe that my students were prepared for this assignment, I'd never have brought it up in the first place." Vane replied, his cool voice leaking through his mask making Krystal shiver.

"Then how do you explain the boy's rashness? This is not the first time he's expressed blatant disregard for our ways and authority." The silver fox asked.

Krystal tensed as she realized she might be stuck working droll contracts that were far below her abilities. At the moment, Vane was trying to get a more advanced mission for Padawans that had been training under a master for two and a half years.

"True." Vane seemingly conceded, but before the council could breathe easier he continued. "Fox is brash, headstrong, and oversteps his bounds, but this is the result of not being tested hard enough, not general disobedience. For a boy as powerful and gifted as him, he needs a task that will test him and perhaps even fail. Should he fail, Krystal or myself will step in and prevent a failure in our mission."

"Are you saying that you want to put your Padawan in a position he is not ready for, just to see him fail?"

"That is _exactly_ what I'm saying." Vane said making Krystal start to feel uncomfortable.

It was uncanny to think of Master Vane purposefully trying to set Fox up to fail, even if it was for his own good. Fox did need a good lesson in humility, like the ones she used to hand down on him before she decided it was wrong of her to flaunt her greater skill over him. Yet setting him up didn't seem like the right way.

"Once Fox tastes failure it'll serve as a good lesson for him, that he's not invincible or infallible."

The small council shifted and talked amongst themselves giving Krystal a bitter taste in her mouth. She could hardly believe it, but the council was actually agreeing with Vane.

"Very well master Vane. Your idea seems acceptable, only _if_ you can guarantee that when Fox fails that his failure will not affect the mission or endanger anyone's life."

"I guarantee it." Vane promised.

"Then we grant you and mistress Shivana a mission. The ambassador of Papetoon has been receiving a multitude of death threats and has asked us to provide extra security. We don't know who exactly has been sending these threats, but the ambassador believes it to be the rebel gang. You, Shivana, and your Padawans are to guard the ambassador day and night until the attackers reveal themselves or the government can uncover their identity."

"Thank you. We'll leave at once." Vane said and he and Krystal took their leave.

They walked for several long minutes in silence. Krystal was at his side but at the moment she wanted to be away from him.

"Something's upsetting you, Krystal." Vane pointed out, but you didn't need the Force to see that.

The vixen's blue ears were flaring and twitching agitatedly, her tail was bushed and flicking about, and if you listened hard enough you could hear a small growl resonating in her throat.

"Yes, Master." Krystal acknowledged but didn't say why. She was in a mood and didn't even want to talk about it. Even though it was Fox getting set up, she also felt betrayed. What if this wasn't the first time he'd concocted a plan that put their lives in danger? Then she remembered.

"Master." Krystal growled, her usual respectful tone nowhere to be found at the moment.

"Yes, Krystal."

"Why are you putting Fox in danger, _again_?" She nearly barked as they walked down the quiet hallways by the library.

"A Jedi's life is often dangerous. You'll be hard pressed to not be in danger wherever you go when you're a Jedi. Especially in these times." James said, deflecting the question with an answer Krystal was not looking for.

"This isn't the first time you've set one of us up for failure." Krystal reminded the tall masked man. "The last time that I know you set Fox up he nearly got killed by the dark lord of the Sith!"

"An unfortunate result but necessary." Vane said casually, like he'd forgotten the fact that Andross had electrocuted and beat the poor vulpine nearly to death when he was just ten years old.

"But Master-"

"Do you doubt me, Krystal?" Vane interrupted suddenly.

"Y- no, Master." The vixen stuttered.

"Then you need not worry. Fox will be fine, we shall skip the menial missions, and we will be one step closer to your true training." Vane assured her, putting an end to the conversation.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

The door to Fox's room opened up with a small hiss. He half expected Fara to be waiting for him in an alluring way, but was quite surprised to find her sitting calmly on his bed. She smiled brightly at him as he walked in holding a tray of food for them both, and he returned the smile.

"Hope you weren't bored while I was gone." Fox said as he sat down next to the fennec.

Fara's tail wrapped around herself. "A little, but I kept myself entertained."

"Yeah? How's that?" Fox asked when suddenly the vixen showed him his busted audio recorder. "Going through my stuff now?"

"You _did_ say make myself at home." Fara giggled.

"Yes but…" Fox began but didn't really care to fight right now. He had his old friend back and that's all that mattered. "Find anything interesting on it?"

"Just your life story." She said with a shrug.

"And?"

"It was boring." She said before they both broke out laughing. As they laughed Fox failed to notice the vixen's tail had once again moved and was now resting on his tail. When he realized it he didn't think anything of it so he didn't say anything.

"Well now that you're back, I doubt that'll be the case from now on." He said handing Fara her food. "Once I'm a Jedi we'll start a team with Storm, Rarity, and Krystal, and we'll take the galaxy head on."

Fara nodded but didn't reply. She merely nibbled at her toast and eggs for a while and when Fox had just finished his food she spoke up.

"Or… we could leave."

The vulpine's ears perked and he looked at her. "Leave? And where would we go?"

Fara shrugged. "Wherever we like. We could get a ship, become mercenaries, pirates, bounty hunters, it doesn't matter what we do but it'd be just us two."

Fox licked his lips. "That's a tempting offer. But what about my friends, my obligations? I swore an oath and I-"

"I swore an oath too." Fara interrupted and placed a paw on his face. "I swore to the dark lord himself that I would kill every Jedi I came across. I swore that I would kill your friends and bring you back alive. Look at me now. I'm sitting here in a Jedi temple… with you" she whispered drawing closer and closer to his lips, "loving every second."

They were just inches away but she hesitated. She wanted him to meet her halfway, to sanction the love she had for him. It felt like an eternity of waiting and in the end she was disappointed. Fox only smiled that naïve smile of his.

"Would it always be just the two of us?" He asked.

Knowing he wouldn't give her what she wanted, Fara pulled away and said. "Only at first… but maybe after a time we could…."

The sheltered vulpine didn't catch that hint. He had no idea she was referring to kits but thanks to the Jedi and their celibacy, he never learned many things that should have come naturally.

"You don't like my friends, do you?" Fox asked the rather stupid question.

The vixen huffed and looked away from the somewhat dense vulpine.

"What's not to like?" She said with a small growl. "Your big thug friend calling me a slave, his pretty little girlfriend giving me icy looks every time I see her, or maybe that blue bitch that wants to kill me? Of course I like your friends."

Fox now realized just how stupid that question was. The feelings radiating from the vixen had changed from happy to upset and angry.

"They're just a little sore from when you beat them. Just give it time and they'll-"

"No they won't. They'll never accept me and they'll always suspect me. They're not you." She said starting to choke up.

'_She's so emotional. It's obviously too early to expect anything less. Poor thing.'_ Fox thought as he could feel the vixen's mind toss and turn in a stormy sea of emotions. Almost instantly he wrapped his arm around her pulled her close.

"I never asked for this." She whimpered, beginning to openly cry. "All I ever wanted was to grow up normally, marry my hero, and live as far away from all this Jedi and Sith nonsense."

"It's not too late for that. You could still leave all of this behind and-"

Fara jumped up to her feet sending her plate of food to the floor. She glared at Fox and bared her fangs at him.

"How can you be so stupid?! _You're_ my hero, Fox! You are! You've always been my hero." She growled catching the vulpine completely off guard. He never considered himself a hero, not even back when he saved her from those bullies all those years ago.

"I'm not a hero." Fox said but the fennec pounced on him.

The vulpine was almost able to put up a fight but Fara had pinned him just before he could. She held him down with her deceptive strength and the tips of their black noses touched. Fara stared at him dead in the eyes.

"Yes you are. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. You saved me, and I will always love you for it." She said to him, every word sending hot waves through his body.

It had been so long since someone told him that they loved him, he almost forgotten what it felt like. This beautiful young woman was emptying her heart out to him and despite his oaths that forbade him from loving he couldn't help but return the feeling.

Fara had let his arms go and they somehow found their way to her back, gently embracing her.

"Fara… I…" Fox began but faltered.

"What? What is it?" Fara whispered.

"You were… taken by the Sith because… because of me. How can you love me if all your suffering was because of me?" Fox begged to know.

For a while the vixen was unable to answer him. All she could do was hold his gaze as she thought of an answer. Fear began to grip the vulpine as he was in a rather compromised position and at any moment Fara might become enraged at the realization. Eventually the vixen broke the connection and she rested her head on his chest, her large ears enjoying the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat.

"I hurt during that time, but only when I wasn't thinking of you. It's not your fault that they came for me; they wanted me to hold as a ransoming chip over my parents regardless. It only just happened that Andross saw something in me that he wanted to exploit." She said with a bitter taste in her mouth. "And I know that you will always try to protect me, because you're my hero."

The day had only just begun but for the two foxes it felt like it had already come and gone. They were both tired and unwilling to face the rest of the day. Both of them wanted nothing more than to just lie there in Fox's room, on his bed, in each other's arms and although Fox knew it was wrong, it didn't stop him from enjoying every minute of it.


	25. Passive Agressive Combat

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Hey guys, just a head's up, this chapter is very different from all the other ones. No, the story won't be like this chapter from now on, it's just an establishing Fara's character. Also, I don't want to hear any more bitching about updates if you all don't even read the damn thing! I got hammered by people demanding an update and then guess what. Padawan? Where's Hell, and Exchange Student, and a Honeymoon sequel? Why are you updating Padawan? Oh you guys… seriously.**_

Fox yawned as he slowly awoke. He was lying on his bed over the covers but felt so comfortably warm. The vulpine shifted and found that a body was pressed up against his, its arm wrapped around his chest embracing him affectionately. He smiled to himself when he opened his eyes to find the beautiful fennec sleeping soundly with a small smile on her face.

This sort of affection and closeness was forbidden according to the Jedi Code, but the vulpine seemed to have misplaced his knowledge of it at the moment. The longer they laid together, the more he started to wonder exactly why this was not allowed. He liked having her against him, hearing her gentle breathing, sharing her warmth, and feeling the vixen's soft fur.

'_Why is this wrong? We're not doing anything bad and I feel… so good. I… love… this.'_ Fox thought as he used the word that was such taboo, but was the only one that could possibly explain this feeling.

Before he could dwell any more on it, the vixen let off a little mewling sound before a long winded sigh.

"I wish I could wake up like this every time." She whispered and nuzzled the larger fox's chest.

"You slept well then?" Fox asked as he stroked her behind the ears.

The little fox's ear twitched and she giggled. "Better than I ever have before."

"It's still three o'clock. Do you want to go do something?" Fox asked once he checked the alarm clock beside his bed on the table.

"Like what?"

"… I've got an idea." Fox said with a sly grin making the vixen's heart start beating harder.

Fara sat up and crawled on top of the orange vulpine. She sat on his stomach causing him to tense and become filed with strange emotions, that didn't even compare to what he felt when she gave him a salacious smile.

"I've got a few of my own." She purred.

Fox blushed a bright red that made the orange fur of his face glow. "Fara, I didn't mean _that_!"

"Well… what did you mean?" She asked, playing with the tip of her left ear.

"If you want-" Fox began just as Fara slowly moved her body a little further up his chest.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to get more comfortable." She said with a coy grin.

Fox bit back the urge to say she knew otherwise and instead picked up where he left off.

"If you want, we could go out to town. There isn't much to do but at least no one knows who you are out there."

Fara thought it over as her fingers walked up and down Fox's chest. The vulpine was a little uncomfortable about it, but it didn't bother him as much as he'd thought. There was something exhilarating about having her sitting on his chest, smiling, and teasing him constantly. It got his heart beating and ruined his inner peace but why couldn't he stop smiling?

"So it's a date?" She purred and giggled when the larger fox flinched.

"It's- it's not a date! We're friends! W-We aren't even mates!" Fox stuttered, his whole body flexing and becoming one of the most comfortable chairs Fara had ever sat on.

"You're so cute when you blush, Fox." Fara purred and reached down to play with his ear.

Fox's breathing quickened the longer she scratched, pinched, and tickled his ear. It wasn't enough though, he wanted more, he wanted her to touch him in even more places, but he quickly remembered his oaths.

"So do you want to? To go, I mean." He added quickly when another flirty smile started curling across her lips.

"I suppose. We could get in a whole lot of trouble together." She said and finally got up off of him.

She hadn't even taken a step before Fox reached out to her. He didn't want her to leave or get off him. Yet just as his fingers wound touch her, he stopped and pulled away. It was wrong of him to have these thoughts and he knew he had to resist his… urges, when he was around her.

"We're not kids anymore, Fara." He reminded her and sat up on his bed. "I'm also responsible for you and whatever trouble you get into, I get into it double."

The fennec turned around and held out a petite hand. Fox took and was surprised to feel himself being yanked up as if it was Storm pulling him. They wound up pressed together, staring into each other's eyes.

"Well… you'll have to think of clever ways to keep me on your best behavior, won't you?" Fara purred, licking her lips.

"And what if you misbehave?" Fox growled, not threateningly, but rather playfully.

Fara's hand moved as fast as lightning. It wrapped around Fox's side before smacking him on the rear, groping tenderly before he even knew what was happening.

"You could put me over your knee and spank me." She said, her hand still groping him tenderly.

Fox gasped and immediately pushed away. He was breathing like he'd ran around the temple a hundred times full sprint. He looked at Fara who was acting like nothing happened.

'_Why is she doing this? Why am I letting her? Why don't I want her to stop?'_

Fox cleared his throat and growled. "Don't do that. Let's just… go."

"Whatever you say." Fara sighed and wrapped her arms around his. "Care to escort me?"

"Only if you behave like a lady." Fox replied and did not shake her off.

The two foxes opened the door and hadn't even taken a step before stopping dead in their tracks. Instantly, Fox began to feel like he had done something very wrong, as a cold and stone faced vixen stared at him and the fennec attached to his arm. Krystal only looked between the two of them, not saying a word but Fox could tell what that meant. Her nose was twitching and it easily picked up the vixen's scent on the vulpine.

"He-Hey, Krystal." Fox stuttered.

Her once bright warm eyes had turned icy and bitter. She looked at him very judgingly and he could hardly keep eye contact. The fact that Fara was clinging to him and giving Krystal such an innocent, but antagonizing smile didn't help.

"Hello, Fox." Krystal said very curtly, like she was on the verge of biting him.

"Hello, Krystal. So good to see you." Fara purred as if the two vixens didn't hate each other's guts.

Krystal didn't respond, she just casted her an ugly look before turning it to the vulpine.

"Fox… Master Vane has sent me to tell you that we have a new mission next week." She said, her tail flicking back and forth violently.

"That's great!" Fox said, wishing Fara would stop nuzzling his arm in front of her. "Will Storm and Rare be joining us?"

"No."

Fox shivered as ice leapt from her eyes and started to freeze him. He knew she was mad and he knew he was in trouble, so why was she acting so passive about it?

"Um… listen." He started even though he knew it was a terrible idea. "Fara and I were about to head into town, would you like to come with us?"

"But Fox!" Fara whined and gave Fox such a pouty look. "This was supposed to be _our_ special trip."

'_Why are you doing this to me?!'_ Fox thought as the blue vixen gave both of them one of the most putrid looks he'd ever seen. As beautiful as Krystal was, it was now clear just how capable she was of being equally terrifying. Before Fox could say anything else, Krystal beat him to it.

"You two go have_ fun._ See if I care." She snapped before storming off.

Fox watched her go with a disbelieving look on his face. Krystal had come so far in controlling her emotions, especially her anger. It confused the Fox to no end why she was acting this way, but he sure it had something to do with the purring fennec wrapped around his arm. It never dawned on him that Krystal could be jealous, not when she was so gifted, talented, and better than every other Padawan at pretty much everything.

"Oh forget her, Foxy. Let's go while we're young." Fara cooed and started pulling and tugging him away.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Krystal could not explain it, but she was livid as Hell. Something about seeing Fox with that…_ woman_, infuriated her. And the way she did it, clinging to his arm, smiling so innocently, and giggling with every word he spoke just made it even worse. She knew what she was doing; the fennec was intentionally antagonizing her like before. Not that she cared, but if that was the case then why was she so upset?

"That stupid vulpine!" Krystal shouted the second she was behind her room's closed door. Her blue eyes snapped over to a training boulder in her room. Using the Force, she lifted the boulder, crushed it, and watched the broken pebbles and dust fall to the floor.

Breaking the rock gave her no satisfaction, and she went on thinking of what the vixen might be doing with Fox. Thoughts of her seducing her best friend, making him break his vows, and using her perfect body as a weapon to lead him down the wrong path manifested in her mind.

"Just what does he see in her? Why is he prancing around with that… _fennec_ and jeopardizing his oaths?" Krystal growled as she sat beside the pile of pebbles and dust.

'_Her ears are abnormally large, she was a Sith and could turn on him at any moment! And her breasts are…'_ Krystal brooded but stopped suddenly.

Now that she thought about it, Fara was a vixen in her prime, unhindered by vows of celibacy and without morals. She could do, and would do anything to get what she wanted. It didn't help that the tan, young fennec had a body that matched and even beat her own in some aspects. Fara was shorter than her, smaller than her, but her body was perfectly shaped. Fara had the body of goddess, both perfectly toned and voluptuous. Her breasts also put Krystal's to shame, her hips were wider, and hind swayed in such a way it made even her stop and look.

Just last night Krystal witnessed how fortunate she was. Fara had stripped down to the bare essentials, almost as if she was showing off or even trying to provoke her. She had no sense of modesty, prancing about the room, stretching, and putting herself in awkward poses just to show off.

"Boy I'm tired." She sighed as she flopped down on the bed she stood over.

Krystal growled in her throat for a moment but suppressed her anger.

"…_Fara_." She said with difficulty. "That is _my_ bed you're lying on. Your bed is on the other side."

"Oh, but it is _SO_ comfy!" Fara moaned as she rolled around on Krystal's bed, spreading her scent all over the recently washed sheets. "Fox must give it to you so hard on this-"

"Fox doesn't _give_ me _anything_!" Krystal spat, completely taken off guard by the other brazen vixen's comments.

"He doesn't!?" Fara gasped as she sat up, her legs dangling off the bed and breasts squeezing together. "Krystal! How have you let him slip by for so long? I'm surprised you aren't dropping litter after litter of his kits by now."

Krystal turned bright red. She hated this vixen, none of her Jedi teachings or training could make her see otherwise. Now she was talking about kits of all things when they were not even legally adults in the eyes of the Cornerian Republic. On Cerinia Krystal had become a full-fledged woman already at the age of fourteen last year. Now she was fifteen, without a mate, and no victories to speak of, something that Cerinians considered pathetic.

"The Jedi don't take mates; a Jedi is celibate." Krystal growled pride-fully to which the fennec laughed.

"Celibate? And waste that gorgeous body?" Fara asked standing up, her white T-shirt on loan from Fox thankfully coming down past her waist. "Come now, Krystal. I know about you and your culture. You're a Cerinian! A proud warrior race that puts as much honor on battle as it does children. You can't stand there and tell me otherwise that you don't long for it, to yearn for a mate to take you and ravish you over and over, blessing you with his child."

Fara was but a step away from Krystal, her deep brown, judging eyes boring into her. Krystal wanted to agree with her, to admit that sometimes she thought of raising kits of her own, but she took an oath forbidding her from even mating. She would never know the joy of motherhood, raising a young one, and giving birth to a new and beautiful life. It pained her to think of it, especially when girls her age back home were winning honor hunting, fighting, and having kits of their own.

"Get away from me!" Krystal snapped and pushed past the vixen.

She laid down in her bed ignoring the foreign scent of the vixen on her sheets as best she could. Yet Fara wasn't about to stop; not when she was so far ahead tormenting her.

"I bet there are girls back home raising kits of their own. They'll grow up to be strong Cerinian warriors themselves too. Such a blessing it is to watch a child grow and live knowing that you birthed it, carried it, and made it with your loving mate." Fara said sympathetically, trying to push every button of the blue vixen's she could.

Fara couldn't see it since Krystal was lying down with her back to her, but she knew she was winning. The way Krystal's bed groaned, the sheets quietly ripped, and the small sniffle she made all told her she was suffering.

"Do you ever shut up?" Krystal growled, her voice a little lower pitch than before. "If you want to talk, go find a wall somewhere other than here!"

"I'm sorry, am I keeping you awake?" Fara apologized and sat on her own bed. "Please forgive me, I do prattle on sometimes. I'll try harder not to keep you awake with such silly thoughts from now on."

"See that you do." Krystal huffed as the lights went out.

"One thing though, before you fall asleep and dream of your clan and family a million light years away. We both know that Fox is a man, and all men have certain… needs. And when a man fills those needs he puts a child in you. Just think of how amazing that would be, wrapped in his arms, his large manhood pulsing inside of you, he whispers in your ear he loves you just before your release." Fara purred on and on, her ears twitching and lips smiling bigger every time she heard Krystal let out a little whimper. "Not that you'd even know what it's like, or ever will. A Jedi is celibate." Fara giggled evily upon hearing Krystal let out the smallest of sobs that only her large ears could hear. "Anyways, good night new best friend."

Krystal's fist suddenly came down hard on her floor, her concentration and meditation broken by the memory of last night. A small tear scrolled down her face and she let out a sob.

"I hate her. _I HATE HER!_" Krystal shouted as her fists rained down on the floor in a desperate attempt to expel her anger and hatred.

Everything she had learned was lost in that moment of weakness, and she felt herself reverting back to when she was a proud and powerful young warrior in training. She had such hopes, such potential, such dreams of glory, but look at her now. She was little better than a slave to an order that only wanted her people so they wouldn't become enemies. Fara made her realize that she had such little control over her own life now, how much she would never experience because some wrinkly old men and women told her it was wrong and immoral.

Fara was getting to her, and both her and Krystal knew it. They hadn't even known each other for three days and yet she was here sobbing and crying while Fara was out with Fox spending the day with him.

At one time, Krystal would have taken what she wanted, challenged Fara in battle and won her right to be Fox's mate. If Fox would not have her she'd challenge him to and when she won, _force_ him to be her mate. Together they'd experience it all; together they'd lead wonderful lives for themselves.

But not now.

Never now.

She was a Jedi, and for the honor and safety of her people, she must prove herself worthy and help her people be absolved into the Jedi. Fox, children, honor, pride, love, and happiness were all things she had forsaken for her people. A mistake or not, there was no turning back.

"I hate you, Fara Phoenix… but I swear to you this, you will _never_ break me and you will_ never_ have him."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

'_All too easy.'_ Fara thought to herself as the speeder slowed to a stop on the outskirts of the small city.

It had taken almost a whole hour, but now she and Fox were finally here, alone, and unsupervised. Fara had even persuaded Fox to put on something other than those "dusty old robes" in favor of a more casual, and normal look. She told him it was because she didn't want people to wonder why a Jedi was escorting around a fennec and that it might look suspicious. He had no idea the under-meaning of it all though. With him out of the Jedi robes and in a green T-shirt and grey pants, he looked just like any other fox while she looked like any other vixen. So no one would question why they were holding hands.

"Are you _sure_ this isn't… weird?" Fox asked, his hand shaking and sweaty.

"Of course not!" Fara giggled, not caring one bit if he shook or sweat, not when she had him all to herself after years and years of yearning. "You're simply escorting me. There's nothing wrong with a handsome gentleman doing that, is there?"

"I… I guess not." Fox said, blushing like he was sick with a fever.

Fara purred to herself as she looked up at the nervous fox. She _loved_ how innocent and naïve he was. It welled up feelings and urges inside her to help him open his eyes to what he was missing out on, show him new things, sights, feelings, and pleasures. It made her heart beat faster and faster thinking of when she would finally get him to submit; to succumb to her teachings of life and corruption. As noble and heroic it was to be a Jedi, she wanted more than that, she wanted a bad boy.

"Where should we go first than, handsome?" She flirted while squeezing his hand a little.

"Depends. Are you hungry?" He asked but shivered when she gave him a hungry look.

"Famished." Fara said licking her lips, slowly and deliberately.

"Well let's go get some food!" Fox yipped and started striding with his long legs towards the nearest diner. Fara was a little hard pressed to keep up, what being a foot and a half shorter and all, but Fox did eventually slow down when they were inside.

They didn't even wait a minute before a waitress came over. She was taller than Fara, but six inches shorter than Fox who was six and an inch tall himself. Fara found herself to dislike the white poodle, as she recognized Fox right off the bat and seemed just as interested in him as she was.

"Fox! How wonderful to see you again." She said with a bright smile on her face. "How's the training going?"

"It's going great, Fay!" Fox smiled back. "I'm finally a Padawan now."

"That's so great, Sweetie!" She yipped and gave him a long hug.

Fara felt a sense of territorial anger rise within her and it spiked when Fox let go of her hand and hugged Fay back. Once they pulled away however, his hand quickly returned to hers, although she wasn't as quick to hold his as she was before.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Who's this? Your friend?" Fay asked now finally taking notice of the short vixen.

"You could say that." Fox admitted. "Her name is Fara, Fara Phoe-"

"Just Fara."

"So nice to meet you, Fara." Fay said offering her hand which Fara took it to appear ladylike, as part of the deal Fox and her made.

"Likewise." Fara said despite the urge to break her hand as they gently shook.

"Are you a Jedi too? I haven't seen you around before."

"No… I'm just an old childhood friend of Fox's. Nothing special about me, really." Fara lied.

Fay's light blue gray eyes spied them holding hands.

"_Just_ friends? My dear, Fara, you _must _be something special to get a Jedi to break his vow _and_ land this delicious hunk of man meat." Fay giggled as it became clear as to why Fara disliked the canine. She had a thing for Fox.

"We're… we're not-" Fox began but was interrupted.

"He's my escort. I've never been to Papetoon and from what I hear it can be very dangerous." Fara once again lying.

Fay nodded. "It can be, dear. It can be. We've been having mercenary problems of late as well. Groups of mercs have been robbing, raping, and pillaging across the countryside. We're getting a lot of refugees lately and I wish the Jedi would send someone to smoke them out."

"Yeah, sucks. Could we uh… get a table? I haven't eaten since yesterday." Fara said quickly diverting the conversation away before that stupid "I should do something" look on Fox's face could set in. Fox was her hero, _her_ hero. Not a bunch of smelly farmers' hero.

"Of course. Sorry you two, I do prattle on a lot sometimes." Fay shrugged and led them to an empty booth.

She handed them their menus and told them she'd be back in two minutes. Fara watched her go, thinking of ways she could "make it look like an accident" before turning her attention back to Fox. He had a distant look on his face, no doubt thinking about those poor farmers being robbed, raped, and pillaged. Where it didn't concern the fennec one bit, it upset him to the point he was ignoring her.

Unacceptable.

"Fox? Fox, don't worry about those people. The Jedi will most likely deal with it soon and everything will be as it was." Fara assured him while rubbing her foot against his leg under the table.

"I'm sorry, Fara. I just can't help but feel bad for them. These people support Papetoon, the temple, and me even. Without them and their generous donations we'd all have starved and forced to have eaten our Lightsabers." Fox admitted.

"They'll be _fine._" Fara pressed. "It's not like the Jedi will abandon them!"

"No, but they _will_ take their sweet time." Fox growled. "If Venom can convert planets and people to their cause openly and unchecked, what hope do these poor people have enlisting our aid? I don't know, sometimes I wish I could leave and start doing things that mattered. For the last seven years all I've been doing is needless chores, training, and studying! It got fast."

Fara sighed. "Do you remember what I told you a few hours ago? Why not just _leave_? Let's just go and leave all these silly oaths behind! We'll become mercenaries, get contracts to kill bad mercenaries, and even fight Venom. Best of all, you'll be a free man! Able to take control of his own life again, free to love, be happy, and do anything he wants."

The vulpine stared into the vixen's eyes seeing the truth in her words but couldn't agree with it. He sighed and shook his head.

"I can't, Fara. I made a promise and I won't break it."

Fara rolled her eyes. "Fine. But one day I'll make you see, and when I do you'll love me for it."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"…and you're sure it's her?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Fay whispered at the hologram fox in her hand. "Fox is with Andross' right hand, and by the looks of it, she's got him wrapped around her little finger!"

The vulpine let out a string of curses. "How can my son be so… _dumb_ sometimes?!"

"I can think of a reason." Far said looking around the cold meat locker to make sure she was still alone. "The girl is_ gorgeous_! Probably even better than Krystal. The size of her tits and her being able to still stand up straight is mind boggling!"

"Knock it off, Fay."

"I'm serious, James!" Fay growled. "She's hitting on him left and right and he probably has no idea how to respond thanks to the Jedi. He knows nothing about girls and how crafty some of them can be."

"Alright. See if you can't do something, anything. Seduce him if you have to; just keep him away from her." James growled.

Fay gave James a look. "Seduce him? First a taste of the big bull and now the young calf?"

"Fay." James growled menacingly to which the canine giggled.

"Only kidding, boss. Don't worry; I'll put their little flame out." Fay said assured.

"Make sure that you do. It's bad enough he's jeopardizing his vows but now he's doing it with a Sith assassin! It would have been so much easier if it was Krystal." James groaned as he massaged the bridge between his eyebrows as a sudden onset headache attacked him.

"As if. Ain't no man getting in that vixen's robes." Fay scoffed. "I'll check back in a half an hour. Fay out."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Do all ladies play footsies under the table?" Fox grunted as the vixen's foot inched up his leg and then slowly trailed back down.

"Only when the gentleman allows it, and since you haven't yet stopped me…" Fara said with a smirk.

At that, Fox quickly shifted his legs away making the vixen pout. He gave her a serious look and she quickly looked at her menu. Every so often she would look up from the menu that didn't interest her in the slightest. Fox noticed her big blue eyes dart up every now and then and chuckled. She kept driving him crazy, but he would eagerly come back for more.

"Are you and Krystal getting along okay?" Fox asked putting his menu down.

Fara let out a very sly smile. "Krystal? Oh she is such a sweetheart."

"Really?!" Fox gapped, expecting the worst but felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Yeah really." Fara sighed giving him a look like he was stupid, but he was too relieved at the moment to notice. "We were up last night talking and talking."

"About what?"

"Lots of things." Fara said rolling her eyes around so not to make eye contact.

"Hey you two. Ready to order?" Fay asked coming back suddenly.

"I am but if you need a few more minutes, Fara." Fox said looking to the vixen.

"Yes I'll have the- Fox?!"

Out of nowhere Fox jumped out of the booth and to his feet. His senses shot out in all directions, something was wrong and he was trying to find out why. The young Jedi's sudden outburst drew all eyes to him but he didn't care. Everyone's lives were in danger and if he didn't act quick enough they would all die.

'_What is it? Where is it? How can I stop it?'_ Fox thought as the sense of danger descended upon him, threatening to choke him out. His senses were dull as he had been focusing all his attention on Fara for the whole day, and it was difficult to see the danger creeping closer and closer.

'_It's a… it's a hovercraft. A hovercraft? Why is that danger- bombs… there are bombs on the hover car and it's-'_

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Fox shouted and spun around, throwing both hands out in front of himself.

He summoned every ounce of his abilities and threw a wave of force out at the wall behind him. The wave Fox sent out blew a large hole in the wall from floor to ceiling eight feet wide. It went on to slam into the small personal vehicle outside, flinging it away like it was a toy. Unfortunately the hovercraft only flew ten feet away before detonating. The explosion was massive, sending Fox and Fay flying back and a wall of fire shoot in all directions. Fara was smarter than everyone else and actually took cover so she was better protected from the explosion but the flames still burned her and her clothes.

Fox felt himself land after what felt like minutes later. His body slammed into another table and crashed down to the floor. He kept blacking out and waking up feeling brief moments of intense agony before falling back under. When he finally came around and maintained consciousness he could taste blood, feel burns on his body, and could hardly move a muscle.

The vulpine opened his eyes, seeing the diner was completely devastated. Chairs were knocked over, people were screaming, and smoke was filling the room. He moved his head, getting a report of pain with every millimeter he moved. His green eyes blinked and he found Fara standing over him, and she was smiling.

_**~X~X~X~X~X~X~**_

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES~~~ Yeah, thought it was just gonna be about Fara trying to get in Fox's pants and assert her dominance of Krystal, didn't you? Yeah. Go ahead; say Superman will save the day. Go ahead. …WRONG! Weaseled that bit of plot in at the last minute. Anyways. I'll have you know that this story is rated T for TEEN. No M for Mature naughtiness. That's Krystal's Honeymoon, which is getting a sixth chapter and an update might I add! Don't tell anyone, this is for you loyal fans only.**_


	26. Slow Recovery

"Krystal."

The vulpine's voice was barely more than a whisper. His whole body was crippled with pain and utterly unresponsive to his mind's commands. His ears were ringing so when the vixen spoke her words were drowned out. He opened his eyes and saw her saying something but whatever it was he couldn't tell. Fox suddenly felt his body being lifted up and slowly dragged away.

His vision came and went, and his connection to the Force was diminished. He opened his eyes again and saw he'd been moved from the blown up diner to a backroom. Hands ran up and down his body, now and again touching a bruise or cut making him flinch with pain. His mouth opened to speak but drool and blood fell out instead of words.

"Fara." He mumbled, less blood and spit falling out this time.

"We need to… bleeding too… HELP ME!" He heard a woman say; only picking up bits and pieces.

He soon felt something painfully slide out of his stomach. Fox groaned in pain but it was over before he even realized it. A hand took his and gave it a supportive squeeze. He would have squeezed back but was still far too discombobulated. Nothing worked right, nothing wanted to work right. Too many times he tried to get his body up and moving but it was always the same in the end. Powerful or not, Jedi or not, he was now utterly helpless.

His jade green eyes blinked and blurry forms came into view. He saw two of them, one white and one tan. Fox's heart began to beat slower and slower, pain slowly fading. His acute ears could hear them talking but couldn't understand them.

They sounded panicked and scared.

The vulpine let all the air out of his lungs. He was starting to feel really, really good. Numb from the waist down and slowly working its way up. The thing he thought of as the comfortable feeling reached his neck, was of the blue goddess Krystal.

He missed her. They had trained together for the last seven years but had been forced to grow no closer to each other. He knew nothing more about her or than when he first joined the Jedi Order. Sure they were as in tune with each other than two people could be in battle, but that wasn't enough. Fox wanted to explore her, learn her, and share with her the same moments that Fara was trying to impose on him. He knew she would never let him, her honor as a Cerinian and oaths as a Jedi threw up a wall he'd never get through, around, under, or over.

Fox felt a hand press on his stomach, pain bursting throughout his body. He let out a weak groan, wishing the pain would stop and the numbness return. It didn't matter what it meant, being so unable to feel was such a reprieve after years of stressing to feel nothing.

"Stay with me, Fox." He heard Fara whisper in his ear. "Don't leave me now. Not like this."

"Fara." Fox let out with a sigh. His strength starting to fade and eyes grow dark.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Krystal adjusted her overly possessive robes. She didn't like her robes, she never did. They were too heavy and although unrestrictive, they were the exact opposite of her Cerinian clothes. Jedi robes hid every aspect of her body, showed neither curve, fur, or attribute of her body. Normally it didn't bother her but at the moment she was feeling incredibly jealous and self-conscious thanks to a certain fennec fox.

'_Blast her. I swear when I see her again I'm going to bust her face open on the nearest concrete surface.'_ Krystal brooded as she walked down the halls of the temple, her outward appearance showing absolutely no signs of her emotions. Even her mind, which others could casually observe, was being masked by the vixen.

No matter what she did, she couldn't get the fennec out of her head. Krystal could see her right now, smiling salaciously at her best friend, clinging to his arm, and her hands getting far too bold in exploring his body. Yet the worst part of it all was Fox's lack of caring and attempt to stop her. In fact, when she looked at him she could see him smiling and enjoying it. His fiercely green eyes looked down at the short vixen and he smiled.

"You're so beautiful, Fara." He growled approvingly and reached around her waist to pull her into his body.

"How beautiful?" Fara purred as she began to rub and grind her impressive bust against him.

"Way more beautiful than any other vixen I've met." He replied and then attacked her.

His hands groped her breasts greedily while he mashed his lips against hers. The vixen moaned and let the vulpine have full access to her body. She had no sense of shame, no need to remain celibate. Fara could have any guy, as many guys as she wanted, or even women if she wanted, but instead of anyone else in the galaxy she chose Fox. Whether it was genuine attraction and love, or just a hurtful and spiteful game she was playing, Krystal hated her for it.

"Make love to me, Fox. Mate me again and again until I'm full of you and I carry your kits." Fara went on as Fox pressed her against a wall.

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID BITCH!" Krystal suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, her anger taking over and every inch of floor within six feet of her suddenly collapsed and cracked under intense force.

Her sudden outburst was like a bomb detonating. All eyes turned to her and everyone was shocked by it. Krystal was panting and growling while standing in the center of her crushed ring. Slowly it dawned on her what she did and embarrassment and guilt sank in. She didn't stick around long enough for a Master or a Jedi to show up, instead she simply walked of as dignified and calmly as possible. She knew that eventually this would come back to bite her, it was easy to pick her out of a crowd being the only naturally blue colored mammal on the planet. Still, she didn't want to have to deal with it yet.

'_She's like poison.'_ Krystal thought as she headed to leave the temple. _'I need to leave for a while, clear my head and find my center.'_

With her decision made, Krystal headed towards the parking lot to take a speeder out to the serene wild of Papetoon. Even before she got to the speeders though, Fara began to lose dominance in her mind, and a low sinking feeling started to take its place. At first she thought it was just an instructor coming for her so she decided to hurry up and get to a speeder so she could just avoid it all for now. Just as she reached her favorite speeder, a slick orange speeder with a fantail on the back and three thrusters, another speeder pulled in nearly causing two wrecks and four cases of manslaughter.

Krystal turned, her head tilting with curiosity. Not even waiting for it to fully power down, the occupants jumped out screaming. She was close enough to hear them, but the loud drone of the green speeder's engine was drowning out their clarity.

Two women were barking out orders as they jumped to the back of the car. They pulled something big out, something big, orange, and-

"Fox!" Krystal whispered before a sudden screeching headache pierced her skull and mind from every direction.

The vixen gasped and collapsed to the ground. What little she had in her stomach coming out and leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. The pain was excruciating. It didn't stop at just her head, it went everywhere, her arms, chest, stomach, legs, feet, nothing wasn't in agony. Krystal let out a sharp whine and fell on her hands. All of her strength was failing her and she was left to stare at the disgusting mess she made on the ground. She whined again as her arms became rubber and she slowly sank towards it. Not wanting to collapse on her vomit, the vixen leaned on her right and fell just an inch away.

'_Fox… please be alright.'_ She begged, completely helpless to even find out if he was or not.

It was strange, impossible even. Nothing like this had ever happened to her, never. Why was she suddenly so weak?

'_What's happening to me? Why is my body failing me? I'm strong! There's no reason for this to be happening… unless… our Force Bond! Is he so hurt it's affecting me!?'_ Krystal realized as her breathing slowed. _'No… I'm… Fox! Please help me! Fox….'_

The vixen's vision began to blur and she was so sure that her time was up. She didn't want to die, not like this. Krystal had always dreamed of dying in glorious combat, felling a horde of foes before finally falling. It was a warrior's death she wanted, not a death brought on by a link they never agreed to.

Just as she felt the life of her body slip and fade, a violent shake brought her back.

"Hey, Krystal! Krystal!"

"Of course." She said a loud as the tall white wolf shook her, keeping her awake and from death's door.

"Are you okay? Looks like you threw up some cereal and… toast." The lupine said, still shaking her. "Come on, let's get you to the med wing."

Krystal suddenly felt her body being scooped up by the large vulpine. He carried her so easily, not breaking a sweat or stride. She appreciated the gesture but she didn't want it because it was kind of awkward. Sure they were friends and all but that was exactly it. They were just friends and the way he was carrying her, bridal style, was rather demonstrative of something that people might misconstrue as being there. People had been spreading thousands of rumors between her and Fox already; she didn't need people thinking she was breaking her oaths with… Storm of all people.

"Storm… stop. I don't want-" She began but the big lupine shushed her.

"Come now, Krystal. You're in no position to complain. Well actually you're in the perfect position to complain seeing as how I found you rolling around in your own vomit." Storm snickered.

"Fox. Where's Fox?"

"Rarity and some others are taking him to the med wing now. If we hurry, we might get you a bed next to him." Storm said sounding so casual despite the gravity of the situation. Krystal was hard pressed to decide if it was sheer stupidity or him just trying to keep her at ease.

"How did you know-"

"That you needed help?" Storm finished for her when she was cut off by another wave of energy leaving her body. "A funny feeling in the back of my head. Thought I'd take a walk and I saw everyone crowding around Fox, but I also saw you slowly falling down and having a generally unpleasant day."

"Lucky me." Krystal huffed. "Wait a minute… where's Rare?" She asked as it was an odd sight to not see the two of them together.

There was a long pause before Storm replied. You didn't have to be a mind reader to tell that he was upset. He tried to play it off but he knew that she knew.

"Rare is… meeting her new master." He grunted as they reached the medical wing with only a minor amount of stares and whispers.

"What about you? Who is your new master?" Krystal asked.

"You know about my deal with the Jedi. I've been trained and now I can go home and be a mercenary." Storm growled.

"Oh." Krystal said, remembering the fact that Storm wasn't even a real Jedi. It troubled her to think of him leaving to live a cruel and dangerous life. Being a Jedi wasn't always much better if you were in a deployed, but there were always openings as a scholar or a trainer. "When are you planning on leaving?"

"Soon now. There's nothing left for me here. You guys will be leaving soon, Rare is also going." Storm said, his voice hinted with a small growl.

"Well… we had a lot of fun together." Krystal giggled as she was placed in a vacant bed.

Storm nodded before leaving to fetch a nurse. Krystal was still very weak, so weak that she was unable to get under her covers. She wasn't cold, but the thought of being too weak to get undercover was a sickening thought. Never had she been so weak and never did she want to be again.

When he returned he brought with him an older rabbit who seemed as shocked as anyone she was here.

"Krystal? The nurse gasped. "What's the matter? Where does it hurt?"

The vixen licked her lips and shuffled awkwardly.

"It doesn't hurt exactly… you see, I have a Force bond with Fox and I'm feeling what he feels. I feel weak and sometimes pain but I don't have any wounds." The blue fox admitted.

"A Force bond!?" The nurse blurted out. "I've… never heard of one developed in two people so young before. Are you sure it's a Force bond? You haven't been taking any medication or-"

"No ma'am. It _is_ a Force bond. Master Vane has confirmed it." Krystal interrupted to explain.

The nurse cocked an eyebrow and looked at Storm.

"Are Fox and Krystal… well… lovers?" She asked to which the lupine laughed.

"Isn't that the million credit question?" He chuckled and got a loud growl from the vixen.

"_No_. Fox and I have a professional relationship… _only_." She asserted, but not for the first time since she arrived on Papetoon.

"My apologies, lady Krystal." The nurse said with a bow of her head. "Wait one moment; I'll give you something to help you sleep."

Krystal opened her mouth to protest, but even her and all her pride couldn't resist some needed sleep, especially when she couldn't swing her legs over the bed and stand up. Instead, she listened to Storm prattle on about how she almost landed in puke before the old nurse returned with two white pills and a glass of water.

"Here you are." She said handing her the pills then the water. "You'll be out for a couple of hours, by then you should be feeling right as rain."

Krystal stared suspiciously at the pills for a moment. She was unused to medicine coming in such a compact and unnatural form. On Cerinia, herbs, roots, and exotic plants were used to cure anything from the sniffles to fighting infection on open wounds. Regardless, the vixen threw back the pills and drained the water before the disgusting taste could hit her mouth.

"Sweet dreams, Krystal." Storm said with a smirk as the medicine immediately started taking effect.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

'_Where am I?'_

Fox was slow to awake but even when he did he did not open his eyes. He something soft in his hand and moved it only to have it lovingly squeezed. A small smile spread across his muzzle and he squeezed back. The loving way his hand was being held and the love radiating from Fara's mind helped soothe the pain. Fox opened his eyes to find the vixen; her fur matted, ears drooped, eyes bagged, but still so beautiful.

His heart began to beat faster, and he wanted nothing more than to get out of bed and kiss her, but as the thought furthered to holding her in his arms while kissing her deeper, butshe beat him to the punch. His face burned bright red as her lips pressed deeper and deeper into his. His tongue savored her taste when she pulled away.

"Good morning, handsome." Fara giggled, still holding his hand and stroking it with her thumb.

"Morning." Fox said through a dry and scratchy throat making him sound like he'd been breathing in ash.

"Sleepy?"

"Kinda… how long was I out?"

"Three days."

Fox blinked at that as he could find no better answer. Fara could have said an hour and he would have believed her since he felt like he'd only been out that long. He was tired, sore, and felt like if he didn't get a cup of coffee soon he'd kill something. Basically a typical morning for him without a full seven hours of sleep.

"How long have you been here by my side?" Fox asked, once again noting how ragged the vixen was.

Fara smiled and squeezed his hand again. "I never left."

The vulpine smirked and looked at her with such adoration and awe. At that moment she was a goddess in his eyes. He wanted to worship her and show her his fondness of her until she granted him her favor.

"Thank you, Fara. But you really shouldn't have."

"I wanted to though." Fara insisted. "I'll always be by your side… unlike some people."

It took a moment to understand why her tone became so sour suddenly, but then it came to him when he suddenly realized there was a large lack of blue in the room. Even with Fara beside him he felt at a loss and lonely. Krystal was supposed to be his best friend, hell, they even had a Force Bond. Without her here, it was like he was missing a part of himself.

"Where _is_ Krystal?" Fox asked making the fennec growl.

"She was here… for a time." Fara admitted. "She said she had better things to do like training."

Fox frowned and stared harder at the fennec. Her story didn't quite hold up as Krystal wasn't that cold and callous. He was tempted to delve into her mind but that was invasive, and he wasn't entirely unsure that wasn't what happened. She wasn't here and yet Fara was. Of course there were dozens of explanations and legitimate reasons Krystal wasn't or couldn't be here, and it could very well be Fara lying to his face. He looked at Fara, his jade green eyes without their glow as he silently judged her.

"Is that why she's not here?" He asked, searching for any sign of lying or deceit.

"Yes she did. Before she could leave I asked her where she was going and she said to train and she might be back in a few hours. That was yesterday." Fara said so easily it was impossible for her to be lying.

The vulpine couldn't even sense a lie within her through the Force. It hurt deeply, right down to the core of the fox. He knew it was petty and trivial to expect someone to wait on him hand and knee until he awoke, but that didn't make the spiteful feeling inside of him go away. It stuck to him like a tick and the more he tried to get rid of it, the deeper it took root in his skin.

"Thank you… for staying by my side." Fox said as his judging gaze softened and turned more affectionate. "It must have been hard sitting here this whole time."

Fara shook her head and smiled. "Not at all. Your little fox friend brought me meals and would stick around for a little while and talk."

"Little fox friend?" Fox said aloud before a quick remembering. "Kid was here? How was he?"

Fara frowned and shook her head. "He looked pretty shaken seeing you lying here all bandaged up. Apparently he's your little apprentice of sorts?"

Fox rolled his eyes. "I just help him along is all. I'm older than him and learn everything before him so when he needs help I can always teach him how I learned it."

The fennec shuffled in her chair and cleared her throat. "I noticed he's also… very fond of you."

Fox smiled. "Oh yeah. We go way back."

Fara opened her mouth to further press into the issue but heard the medical wing doors slam open. She turned around, rising out of her chair and hand shoot straight to her hip as if to draw a weapon. The person who barged into the medical wing was blue and moving so fast she was almost only a blur. Fara recognized it was Krystal, but the low growl in her throat and the hand at her hip did not go away even when the panting vixen was standing at the foot of Fox's bed.

"Fox!" Krystal gasped, panting hard enough her tongue was hanging out a bit. "How are you?"

"I'm… fine, Krystal." Fox managed to say despite the awkwardness of Krystal's arrival.

"What do _you_ want?" Fara asked snippily but was ignored.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up! Master Vane summoned me and I just couldn't get away fast enough!" Krystal explained as she moved to Fox's open side. His right hand was left cold however, unlike his left that was being almost cradled by the fennec. "How do you feel?"

"Little sore, but nothing I can't handle." He grunted and started to sit up but was gently pressed down.

"Fox, no! You need to rest; save your strength." Fara cooed.

The Cerinian's eyes flashed to the smaller vixen and she growled.

"Let him sit up. It's a sign of recovery." Krystal snapped, her hand reaching under Fox's back and pushing him up.

"Are you daft or just ignorant?" Fara challenged and pushed Fox down. "He needs to recover."

"Clearly he has already," Krystal snapped pushing Fox back up, "and that's why he's trying to get up!"

"Umm… girls?" Fox murmured but was almost flattened on his firm hospital bed by Fara's strong hand.

"You savage! Your people rub burns with tree leaves and call it medicine!"

"Girls?" Fox wheezed, his lungs losing their air from Krystal's even stronger hand pressing down on him for support to get right in the fennec's face.

"DON'T BELITTLE MY PEOPLE!" Krystal shouted.

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR HIM!" Fara shouted back.

"SITH SCUM!"

"BARBARIC SAVAGE!"

"_ENOUGH!"_ A voice rang through the room so powerfully it was as if an earthquake had detonated under their feet.

Both of the vixen's fell back from each other, their muzzles closed shut and eyes wide in horror. The vulpine they both desperately wanted to care for was snarling at the both of them. His muzzle was curled back and his teeth were bared. Fara tried to open her mouth but thought better of it when Fox barked at her.

"Both of you, that is enough!" Fox snapped. "I'm sick already of watching you fight. You're both more special to me than you know and it pains me to watch you clash so bitterly. I know you both really care, but right now… I want to be left alone for little awhile."

Krystal and Fara looked at each other in disbelief. Krystal reached out with her mind to Fox's, hoping to talk to him on a deeper and more pure level, but for the first time was denied. She tried again but an iron wall was raised around his mind and she could not pass through it. Being barred from a mind so familiar to her was chillingly isolating.

"Very well… get well soon, Fox." Krystal murmured and left quietly.

Fara watched her go and looked back to Fox, hoping that now she was gone he'd be in a better mood but was sadly disappointed. She realized it wasn't wise to press him for attention and instead left after wishing him to get better as well. Once she was outside the room she felt even angrier than before. Fara decided to take it out on the Cerinian, as seeing her cry would make her feel immensely better.

The fennec hunted her down using her sharp sense of smell. Krystal had managed to put in a lot of distance between them, but Fara was too determined to give up yet. The blue vixen must have figured she was far enough away and safe, but when Fara spun her around, a glint of fear sparked in her eye.

"F-Fara." Krystal gasped.

"Great job making Fox mad, Cerinian." Fara snarled.

The blue vixen looked around to see if anyone was around, but thankfully they were alone. She turned back to the shorter vixen and whispered.

"It wasn't my intention to-"

"You don't even deserve to see him right now! You abandoned him the second it became too inconvenient for you." Fara growled. "Not like me. _I_ sat with him by his side the _entire_ time! You disgust me, savage. I hope the empire takes your whole planet and rids the galaxy of you vermin, once and for all!"

Fara's cruel and heavy words hovered in the air above the Cerinian vixen. She knew she should be angry and want to crush the fennec with the indomitable will of the Force, but instead the vixen's anger invoking words rang hollow compared to the fact she had indeed left Fox's side. It was only for a moment, but it was that particular moment Fox awoke. Worst still, when she sensed his awakening and came rushing back to his side, she focused more on the bitch more than Fox. Now he was angry, upset, and didn't want to see either of them.

Most unexpectedly to the large eared fox, Krystal only nodded and walked away with a very blank and unreadable face. As she quietly walked off, Fara threw every insult at her to provoke her but was bitterly disappointed when the Cerinian didn't seem to hear her.

'_Wretched savage.'_

~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Fox stewed in the unpleasant stew of foul feelings. His harmonious bells were no longer harmonious, and he couldn't remember feeling this bad since before his training. Krystal and Fara were so important and special to him in their own unique ways that it hurt him to see them fight. Fara was one of his first friends, his first kiss, and reminded him of everything he loved and lost when he swore his oaths. Krystal was everything his now valued and strove to become. She was a mentor and a friend, and without her he would never have made it this far.

The deeper he thought about it however, the more he realized he was trying to force two magnets with opposite poles together. Fara, though now reformed, was Sith in Krystal's eyes. Krystal hated the Sith and everything about the Dark Side. As for Fara, she had become aggressive and bold. To deny she wanted Fox all to herself would be to deny the painfully obvious. Fara saw Krystal as a threat and vice versa.

'_It's not them… it's me.'_ Fox realized. _'_I'm_ the reason they fight and hate each other. Krystal wants to protect me from her, and Fara wants to steal me away from Krystal and the Jedi Order.'_

"Your feelings are correct about this, Fox." A deep and hollow voice said, sparking a current of momentary fear in the young vulpine.

"Master Vane!" Fox said excitedly once he was calmed.

"How are you feeling, Fox?"

Before Fox could answer, a sharp sting touched his face. It felt like a hand had smacked him and just as he was about to rub the pain away, he remembered the last time he and Vane spoke.

"Fine. Still a little sore." Fox said, his tone a lot less happy and hollow.

"That's good to hear. I'll be sure to tell the council and they will clear us for our first mission." Vane said, his yellow mask hiding his face and giving him a haunting look as he stood perfectly still a few feet away.

"Our mission?" Fox asked, hardly able to believe him since just a few days ago he barely survived an explosion.

"Yes. We won't get another chance at this. I know you might be a little hesitant to accept, but before you get too upset… I have a reliable source telling me that the same people that tried to blow up your favorite diner are the same ones we'll be protecting the senator from."

Master Vane spun on his heel and left without another word. Fox watched him go, giving him a hostile look as he walked away. Even though his legs were throbbing painfully with every beat of his heart, he was too intrigued to let this opportunity pass. He wanted to see the people who hurt him come to justice and pay for their crimes. They would suffer, they would pay, and if given the chance he'd bring the justice down on their necks with his own Lightsaber.


End file.
